In the Palm of My Hands
by Sweet.Crazy-DramaQueen
Summary: Haruno is a maid in Uchiha's household. Who's madly in love with Uchiha Sasuke. But not only does she wears glasses, is shy, short and ugly, Uchiha comes home with another woman. Is 'I love you... Sakura' the last words of this story? Or the beginning?
1. Maids

**A/N; Hello, it is I, the Sweet Crazy Drama Queen, and I have decided that I will add another story into the many fics of SasuSaku. (I LOVE that paring! Why, why does Kishimoto-sama gives us hints that she loves Naruto? While Naruto needs to love Hinata! C'mon, get real!) **

**And so I was checking some fan fictions the other day, and I thought, there isn't enough cute, overdramatic, love-cuddling, stories out there. I mean yeah, there's a lot of angst ones and a lot of vampire fics and all. And sure, they have 'happy-endings', there was still a lot of depressing moments in them which I got bad, bad feeling about.**

**I have to say at all those writers out there, that they are the best and their stories are way better then mine and I appreciate them all for even going through the trouble to entertain us and fill the absence of what the manga itself cannot or will not ever fulfill or do. You are the best people, and love y'all.**

**As for this story I can say that it was very, but very hard to keep Sasuke in the character. About all the others, I don't really mind because I'm a hardcore Sasuke-fan and I love him the most when he's in character. Meaning; cold and distance.**

**Too bad that's not entirely the case in this story, so you'll notice that Sasuke's going to do and say some stuff that he actually never will. I hope and am trying to keep him in character as much as possible, but for the main plot, he's a bit different. **

**For all those who just needs to have Sasuke in character, (just like myself) give it a shot and look for me if he's too much OOC, which I don't want him to be, but if you do, just say it flat in my face. (Uuhm, flat at my screen, gheghe…)**

**There's a difference between flaming, and correcting. (Please keep in mind people)**

**Other than this I'll like to say that this story is inspired by; **_**Acorralada**_**, which I think not many of you has heard of it, if you do, then you know half of this plot. It's not entirely the same but the basics of the main characters of that story, is put in here.**

**I just have to mention that this is AU. Mostly in our world. I couldn't fit this story in Naruverse. Just couldn't. **

**Disclaimer****; I'm sorry to inform myself that I do not own any characters of **_**Naruto**_**, if I did, then, well… there would be a lot of steamy scenes between Sasuke and Sakura. And all of my favorite pairings, may I say. Smile**

_**P.s English isn't my primary language, you may find errors, bad grammar and all kinds of wrong shit, so you might find this story like it's been written by 5 year old, that's why I'm looking for a enthusiastic Beta-Reader who can help me with this, correct stuff and all the other things a Beta-reader does. So please…**_

_**Wanted; A Beta-reader**_

**Thank you.**

**P.P.S: I rewrote this chapter… I hope it's way better now.**

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**WARNING: ****This fic is M-rated for specific reasons. **

**I cannot help myself, people need to curse.**

**I am a pervert. A closet in-the-dark-reading-smut hidden pervert. **

**YE BE WARNED!  
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_Acorralada_

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_In The Palm of My Hands_

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'_There is no sin in my body. I have not spoken that which is not true knowingly, nor have I done anything with a false heart.' __**I forgot…**_

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_Sigh. I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it. This has been the weirdest time of my life, yet if it didn't happen, I would be miserable and alone. _

_I should thank her, because if she didn't do the thing she did, then I never would've been at the place I am now. _

_Who is she, and where am I now, you ask? You'll find out later._

_What I wanted to say and ask is; was this all meant to be? Was it destiny? Faith…? Or… pure coincidence? Was I there at the right time? At the right moment?_

_I guess I never know. _

_But what I do know is, that it happened. It actually happened. And for whatever the past was between __**them**__, it's over now. _

_All over. _

_And I know it. _

_Because I am Uchiha Sasuke and nobody messes with me!_

_No, just playing with you. I am Haruno Sakura, and I couldn't believe how my life turned out._

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**- Miami, Florida. United States of America. **

**Uchiha Mansion -**

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"Where exactly is my son?" Uchiha Fugaku asked some random butler, one of many they had.

"He's been on a little vacation on the yacht for about two weeks now, sir. That's what he said." The butler, who was beginning to have white hair here and there, replied politely.

"How can my son be so irresponsible and leave the company by itself without telling someone?" Fugaku stormed into their huge living room that was mostly made out of glass so you could have a nice view on half the city and half the ocean.

"Father, Sasuke's twenty-five years old. He's not a child. He's working in the company since he was eighteen. He knows what he's doing." Itachi responded calmly while taking a seat in their sofa.

"What if something goes wrong, huh? What if something happens? Who's there to take charge? To handle this? We are Uchihas, we _have _the authority. We can handle everything at every time and we're supposed to be there so people would know it." His father hissed back to him.

Fugaku dismissed the butler, for he is witnessing too much of their argue.

"Then if that's so, Sasuke doesn't have any problems. He is an Uchiha. He can, as you say, handle everything, at every time. So at the place he is, wherever he is, he probably knows exactly what's going down in the company." Itachi didn't even bother to look his father in the eye when he talked to him. Zapping the channels of their build-in flat screen indifferently, knowing very well how his father could be agitated about the stupidest things.

"Come on Fugaku. What is the chance of something happening with the company for two weeks? Sasuke has done a very well job with it for years and nothing has changed. In fact, we've done better business than when you were running the company." Mikoto passed her husband to accompany her son on the sofa.

"You never know what will happen. And by all means, care to explain what that statement of yours meant? I've done great business for years, and without me, that company wouldn't have become as successful as it is now. Sasuke only continued with what I was doing."

Fugaku grimaced. It wasn't like he wasn't proud of Sasuke. Because he was. But he just _didn't_ want to let Sasuke get all the credit for something he helped rise from the ground.

But true enough, since Sasuke began to run the company, it became even more successfully than when he was running their business. It was his time, as Itachi declined to continue his work, Sasuke took it over. And sure, the results became better and better when Sasuke barely reached the age of 20.

Sasuke was a born businessman. It was in his blood after all. Sasuke's smart, they called him a genius, both of them were, Sasuke and Itachi. Only Itachi didn't want to run his father's business.

And no, it isn't like Itachi sat home and did nothing; it was only because Itachi had plans of his own. Like, starting his own business.

It isn't as great or as successful as the company his father has started, but, it needs time to grow, and Fugaku couldn't lie, it's reaching their point of successful very fast.

Yes, he was proud of both his sons. Even though Fugaku wished it went a little different.

He can shamefully admit that he always praised Itachi more than Sasuke. He wanted Itachi to be the one who continued his work at their company. Because he was the eldest, he should have been the one who took it over. That's how it supposed to be. But after Itachi brought his plans to the light, Fugaku was against all of it. He couldn't agree with one single thing that came out of that genius' mouth.

He was, in that time, disappointed. To say the least.

Itachi had proven him wrong, showing him that he could do whatever he want without his father's help or money. And he did.

About Itachi, Fugaku is… content.

Over the years that the praising of Itachi had lessened, Sasuke had earned more and more of his attention. He became very fond of him. And when he noticed that Sasuke is all in all a great, no, amazing businessman, by the age of 18 already, he declared in himself that it was Sasuke who needed to be praised more.

So actually, both of his sons, has proven him wrong. He had miscalculated, and was prejudice of both of them. Itachi had ruined his plans, while Sasuke, who he actually didn't pay mind at all, has settled his plans straight.

_It was the wrong son after all._

While Sasuke is now his number… -_a_ number- priority, Itachi is merely second hand.

The company _is_ Fugaku's number one priority. Always was. But if his wife knew that, she would kill him.

Frankly, he couldn't care. His work is his life. And no _son_ was going to ruin that. He gave sweat, blood and tears for that company. He rather went to the seven hells and back then let any boy destroy that.

"Well, he didn't _destroy_ the company like you feared. So loosen up. Sasuke has been working this year non-stop. He's a human being. He, too, needs a little rest every now and then. So you're not going to disturb him for any business measure. Besides, he's already 2 weeks out. He isn't that far from coming home." Mikoto ensured him and took a sip of her tea that some maid recently had brought for her.

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**Coast of St. Martin, Caribbean Sea. Uchiha Sasuke's private Yacht, **_**Sharingan**_**.**

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Loud music came from the _Sharingan_, as more than hundreds of unfamiliar people were dancing and drinking. Some were even unconscious from all the alcohol.

People walking around, mostly girls, half naked. Sweaty bodies were groping each other, bottles of strong alcohol and some people lay everywhere on the floor.

Some swimming trunks here, some bikini tops there, it was practically one big orgy.

The Jacuzzi was overfilled with girls trying to take a dip. Drunken guys tried to touch them or take their bikini tops off like some girls were doing.

Laughter, screams, loud music, it was one hell of a party on the 1.5 million dollar two storage-high yacht.

"Teme!" Yelled a drunk blond over the music. "Thish… is sooo awesome! We shoold... like… do this... more fucking often!" His voice slurred of the many amount of alcohol that was in his system.

He was completely inaudible the hear, the music was too loud, his voice wasn't clear and above all that, the man that he was talking to was drunk himself and didn't hear one word what he said.

More because his attention was on two things only.

One; on his bottle of Heineken beer, checking if it wasn't empty.

Two; the drop-dead, knock-out, beautiful girl that rubbing her ass against his groin.

He liked it and there was nothing stopping him from fucking this girl later on this day. That was already decided in his drunken mind. Besides, why does he need to hear what that blond idiot has to say? It probably wasn't much good anyway.

The music's rhythm went a little faster and so went the ass of the girl against him. Moving along with her, he couldn't help himself but to get a hard-on her when she danced faster.

She knew he was getting an erection and just put more pressure on his cock with her ass.

She smiled.

He smirked.

_Horny piece of ass._

In the corner of his eye he could see that Naruto had taken his orange Hawaii-shirt off, spinning it around in the air like some cowboy and yelling 'Go girl!' with some bimbo who was rubbing her own ass against his groin.

After his little yell, the other party peeps yelled along with him, dancing more wildly than before.

It was like Naruto was the host of the party himself, because whatever he did, the other people went along with him and partied more like wild animals.

Sasuke didn't mind. He had hooked up with this girl for almost a week and a half now, fucked her for a week and a half and liked it more than he would admit.

This whole charade was Naruto's idea, of course. Complaining, whining, and yelling in his head that he needed a break for just a week or two. He said that Sasuke had a yacht at the docks that was getting old and dusty without using it.

And because Naruto was very _persuasive_, he hadn't had the heart to decline that nice offer, so he agreed.

In other words, Naruto has _forced_ him to pack his things and _dragged_ his ass to the yacht that was already filled with unfamiliar people Sasuke had never seen in his life.

Convincing Sasuke that it was a good thing to _mingle_ with people other than from the company, he reluctantly adjusted with the whole partying-and-drinking thing.

He hadn't felt himself so free and loosen up in a very, _very_ long time.

Sure, it was quite a while that he had a woman in his bed, -last month if he remembered correctly- but he's catching up with it all now.

_Can't forget to thank Naruto later for this._

The girl, woman, he could say, pulled him at his black shirt to somewhere more private where he had been mostly this week and a half, to continue for what they mostly did this week and a half.

He happily went along.

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**- Miami, Florida. USA. Uchiha Mansion. -**

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"Young Mr. Uchiha will be returning over 2 days and I want you all to make this house spotless. Especially his room." The eldest butler, who had began to grow white hair here and there, spoke to the set of housemaids before him.

"Marina, I give you the lead to separate the tasks between the other maids. I trust I can leave you with that kind of responsibility, right?"

"I can assure you, Mr. Hanika, you can." Marina, a black long-haired female, responded. Flashing him a grin to make sure he could indeed trust her.

Mr. Hanika Joshua turned away from the group of housemaids. Leaving them under the control of Marina.

And Marina wasn't the politest woman in the world.

"Ok, listen up you little pieces of ass, I'm the boss around here and you better listen." Marina's sweet tone that she used earlier to Mr. Hanika was completely gone and replaced by a nasty commanding one. "Let's begin at the begin shall we?" Her chocolate brown eyes went over a piece of paper Mr. Hanika left for her. Probably a list with chores.

"You." She pointed to some maid in the corner of the room. "I don't like you, never had, never will. I don't even know why you came working here. I bet because you didn't want to become a crack whore so you chose to do this. Hmm. You'll scrub the toilets. _All_ the toilets in this house _and_ pool house. Get it?"

"B-but… it's so many…" The poor maid squeaked.

"Do you see in my face like I care?! Hmm? I don't think so!" She sneered back to her. Marina looked back to the piece of paper in her hand. "You're lucky, because there aren't too many chores this time, so you can be paired up. The work will be less hard. Even though you deserved it, you poor ugly witch." Marina looked at the woman who stood next to the maid.

"You two, go and scrub all the toilets. And when I come and check, I don't want to see any dirty spots. Not one!" She spat at the two.

And when Marina said that she didn't want to see not even _one_ dirty spot, she meant that she can't even see one _little_ spot.

Or else…

"What are you two still standing there? Shooting roots? Move bitches!"

Quickly the two maids made their ways out of Marina's sight.

"So… who's next?"

Marina gave 4 other maids chores with a lot of curses and insults between. There were still 3 maids left for how far Marina could see.

"Kay, which leaves you three. The fireplace needs to be cleaned, the plants needs to be cut, and Sasuke's room itself needs to be cleaned and aired. Precisely three people for three chores." Her facial expression smugly, because if she gave out these orders, she didn't have to do shit herself.

"You, shorty, you do the plants. And you, ugly, with the pink hair, you do Sasuke's room. I would've done it myself if he was home, but Mr. Hot-and-spicy is unfortunately out on vacation so you can do it, and then of course leaves the last to you, fatty."

When the three housemaids were about to walk away to do what has been told Marina called.

"Hey ugly pink haired. Wait a minute."

Said woman stopped and turned back to Marina.

"You are, in fact, cleaning _my_ Sasuke's room. So listen up. The bed; needs changing. Open all windows and the door of the balcony, clean his bathroom with that. Dust everything off, and whatever you see in there or whatever you hear, don't. Touch. Anything. _Capiche_?"

Marina saw how the ugly woman before her nodded her head in fear.

Marina quite couldn't understand how somebody could be so ugly like this woman is. Her hair was split right in the middle, -making her forehead seem huge- then to be pulled back into one long braid that reaches her mid-back. She wore red thick glasses that she didn't had on right now, but Marina knew she had one.

Mentally Marina laughed her ass off, and behind this pinky's back, she laughed her ass off, too. Jeez, this was one damn ugly woman.

"Man, do you even have a mirror in your house? Or are they breaking every time you look in one, because -wow- you're uglier than a dying mouse on a stick!"

Marina laughed flat in her face, which caused hot tears to burn into emerald eyes.

"Come on… _haha_… move… _Hahahahaha_… you,… you heard your chores. _Hahaha!_" She said between laughter.

The pink haired woman turned on her heel and went to clean Mr. Uchiha Sasuke's room.

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"It's ok Sakura, Marina is just one evil bitch." Ino slightly patted Sakura's back while the emerald eyed woman cried.

"No, no, she's right Ino. I am ugly. Look at me. Never in my life did I get attention of any guy. Not once." She sobbed. Her eyes red and puffy, her nose was running and her body was trembling.

"No Sakura, you're wrong. You're beautiful in your own way. And be patient, one day the love of your life will come to you unexpectedly. And he will love every part of you. Inside and out." Ino smiled.

Sakura wiped the tears from her flushed cheeks. "Like that will ever happen. This isn't a fairy tale Ino. This is the real world. Things like that never happens. Besides, you know very well who I-"

"Ah, c'mon Sakura. You've got to have faith. That's it."

Sakura stopped crying. Her face dead serious as she looked Ino in the eye. "I've believed in faith most of my life and it has brought me nothing than biting me in my butt."

Ino stayed silence and stared at Sakura with a sad face.

"Forget about it Ino. I'm going to begin on my chores." Sakura put on one of her cold masks, just for now so Ino would shrug it off.

But she knew that Sakura felt worse than shit right now. And just to please her and to make her feel better, she let the subject die.

"Well, me too. Before Marina comes check up and I haven't done a thing. Man, I would get some screaming at my head. So I'll see you around, kay?"

"Yeah, is cool." Sakura turned to clean her face.

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The mansion always had two rooms especially made for the butlers and maids who has to stay for the night. If the Uchihas wanted something in the middle of the night, a butler or a maid has to be present.

These were filthy rich people, they didn't do one thing by themselves. If it was possible, they didn't even pee or breathe themselves.

In this room there was at least 5 beds placed. Sure, the servants needed to be there 24/7, but even they were human.

A bed in the corner of the room was named for Haruno Sakura. She sat on the edge of the rather small bed, resting from cleaning the whole room and bathroom of Mr. Uchiha.

She sighed while she looked at a photograph in her hands.

"_Sasuke._" She whispered while looking at his picture.

Secretly, like every woman who lays eyes on him, she fell in love with Uchiha Sasuke.

He was after all so beautiful. He was precisely that what so many women dreams of. Tall, dark and mysterious. His onyx eyes that could look so cold but once you look in them, you can just drown in them forever.

His face that is made by angels was so smooth and flawless.

His hard and oh-so perfect toned body was incredulously amazing like a divine Greek god.

His voice, deep and rich, smooth like velvet.

His scent was intoxicating.

She could smell him in his room, when she changed his bed, in the bathroom, and could still smell him now.

He was just so hot that she wondered if she'd touched him that she'll burn.

Uchiha Sasuke was gorgeous. To put it in one word, because there were many others.

The picture in her hands was close-up of his face only. He wasn't looking into the camera; somewhere to his right, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

The whole photograph was just goddamn sexy, it should be illegal to even look that good.

She sighed again as she tucked the photograph under the bed.

Uchiha Sasuke was forever out of her reach, he played always in her dreams, in her imagination.

But for real, she could never have him.

They were too much of a difference. Two completely other worlds.

He was the rich beautiful man.

She was the poor ugly woman.

Their pads would _never_ collide.

And that alone, broke her heart.

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- **Coast of Cuba, Caribbean Sea. Uchiha Sasuke's private yacht, **_**Sharingan-**_

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Burning sunlight hit his closed eyes as he stirred in his sleep. The first thing he smelled was alcohol and it made him sick. The second thing he noticed was that there was another body draped over his.

The third thing he knew was that he had one hell of a hangover.

The music has stopped, there was only silence. This was the first time in almost two weeks that he had heard complete silence. The music went on non-stop and it actually was a relief that he could hear the peaceful serenity of silence.

He loved silence.

But that feeling of peace was gone as quickly as it came, because right now, he felt his head literary ram against his temple and it came closely to the feeling of someone hammering on your head.

The strong smell of alcohol filled his nose once again and he wanted to puke right then and there, his body wanting to get all that poisonous liquid out of it. He tried to stand up, as that body that lay on him, kept him down. His vision was a bit blurry but what he saw was enough for him to recognize who it was.

She stirred as well, but didn't wake up.

His headache was killing him, he didn't have hangovers in years. He blinked a few times, every time he did so, it hurt. He looked around, noting that he was on his back, on the floor, with many more bodies around him sleeping. He tried to stand up, pushing the woman off of him, as she groaned but still didn't wake up.

Finally standing straight he quickly made to the nearest edge of his yacht. Puking every little thing that contained in his stomach and more.

He hated hangovers just for this.

"Teme?" Came an overtired, sleepy voice. "You're awake?"

Sasuke had to treasure this moment, this was one of the few, many few times that Naruto wasn't loud and hyperactive.

_Thank god._

"No, I'm still asleep, dobe." Sasuke rasped, being all too sarcastic. Naruto could see that he was awake and standing right?

"Oh, ok." Naruto replied while rubbing his eyes. "Just wanted to tell you that we're nearing Miami. Or something like that the dude with the white hat said." With that he meant the captain.

Sasuke didn't say anything, and he saw how Naruto turned, lied back down on the floor and fell in sleep.

Feeling another wave of nausea come, he puked once more.

He definitely needed an aspirin. He was getting home with a hangover so bad it must takes 5 aspirins to get rid of this damn headache.

This all is Naruto's fault with his 'you-need-a-vacation' shit.

_Can't forget to kill Naruto later for this._

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"_Sasuke_…" Karin purred in the said man's ear as they sat in his black limousine, riding back to the Uchiha Mansion. She kissed his cheek as he looked outside, not giving her attention at the moment. His headache faded a little but it was still there.

"Sasuke, do you think your parents will like me?" She whispered softly. Her lips trailing his jaw, planting butterfly kisses on his throat to the junction between his neck and shoulder.

"Of course."

The redhead girl Sasuke has been with for more than a week and a half wasn't just a random chick.

Sarina Karin was in fact the daughter of -one of Miami's billion-dollar company's- owner, and, Uchiha corps only rival.

He didn't know this fact when he started to fuck her on his yacht, he just found out between the lines. And for the matter of fact, he didn't mind at all. Karin was a beautiful red haired young woman and that she was the daughter of the company's rival wasn't that wrong.

On the contrary, if he played his cards right, it would be an advantage for both him and the company.

He knew why he is bringing this girl along with him. Not because he wants to have some good business between him and her father, but she really has awoken some of his interest in her.

It's really hard to get Uchiha Sasuke interested in one woman particular. But he couldn't help it. Except the great sex they had all the time, Sasuke found himself growing a liking for this woman. He didn't know why or how it happened - in less than two weeks- but it happened.

Maybe a petite part of him _should_ thank Naruto, because if the idiot didn't throw that non-stop party, he wouldn't have met her.

So in reality, he should, but he _wouldn't_. Especially not after he had punched him a good few times to get his frustrations out.

Yet, there was still one little thing, one little problem that kept on Sasuke's mind and his hangover was feeding on that little thing.

His little problem was called; _his parents._

That was the problem lay before him.

Ok, he knew his mother would be fine with it.

She's a beautiful woman with a very good background. She is a billionaires' daughter. And his mother always wanted him to find a woman.

He didn't have any trouble with his mother.

It was his father who was the real pain in the ass. He will start questioning her, thinking that she was after their money. Thank god she was already filthy rich. The thing is, though, he didn't really know how his father will react when he hears her surname.

_Sarina_.

His father will immediately recognize the name and it will be a very mystery what his reaction will be. Sasuke always had a problem with keeping his father _satisfied._ He was never good enough, and because of that, he tried to get a little attention of his father for most of his youth. His father never praised him like he did with Itachi. And sure, he was jealous, not anymore, but still, wanting to stay in the liking of his father, getting it now more than ever before, he didn't know how his father will be like when he hears where this girl comes from.

Fugaku kind of always hated the Sarina family.

It was only because that business made it very hard for their own company to grow.

Uchiha and Sarina corps. were rivals even till today.

And here Sasuke was, present owner of Uchiha company, dating the daughter of the owner of Sarina corps.

This could either come out for the very good, or, for the very, very, _very,_ bad.

He lied to himself and Karin, knowing that whatever his father had to say, he will do whatever the heck he wanted. He wasn't that insecure 16 or 18 year old anymore. If his father had any objection, then it was his father's problem. Not his.

With this new confident, he looked back out of the tinted window. Feeling that the headache ebbed away.

Karin laid her head on his shoulder and rested her eyes. He slightly smirked.

The hell with his father and all.

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- **Miami. Uchiha Mansion - **

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"He's coming home, he's coming home. Ooh, I can't believe it my loved one is finally coming home." Marina happily jumped up and down. "Isn't this a beautiful day? The birds are singing, the butterflies are flying around in the Grand Garden, ooh, I love it." She chirped as she combed her long black hair.

"Yeah, it is a beautiful day, too bad that on a day like this, Mr. Uchiha Sasuke will never even set his eyes on you." Ino grunted back.

"What did you say, pig-face?" Marina whipped around from the mirror to glare at the platinum blond.

"Exactly like you heard me, cheap whore. For years you have worked here, and I think that Sasuke still doesn't even know your _name_!"

"Humph, he so does! And it isn't like he knows your name! You insignificant junk."

"Oh, but I'm not the one who's claiming Sasuke to be mine and that he's in love with me and all that crap. Unlike some bitches I know." Ino retorted.

Marina stood up from the place she was sitting at. "You want to get it on right now, egghead?" She threatens Ino.

"Bring it on, cheese face."

"Excuse me?" Mr. Hanika Joshua stood at the door of the maids' room.

Marina sprung around and put on the most innocent façade she could manage. "Joshua! I mean, Mr. Hanika, we were just fooling around. A little play by play between our girls." She grinned.

"Yes, whatever you want. You and Miss Haruno are personal maids for today. Be in the entrance hall over 15 minutes. Mr. Young Uchiha can arrive any moment." Joshua said, fixing his suit.

"Of course, Mr. Hanika." Marina bowed shortly. Keeping that innocent façade of hers until he left. "Ok ugly, I hope you put that magnifying glasses of yours on, because I don't want any 'accidents' with the Uchihas. Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha are there, as well as Itachi-meat. I don't want to be embarrassed by you."

Sakura, who sat in the darkest corner of the room, nodded silently.

The whole family was there, she couldn't wear those ultra-thick glasses of hers. Then she would hit rock bottom if she walked around with that and… Uchiha Sasuke has to see her that way. She gulped. Well it was that or… a very angry Marina on her back.

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* * *

"May I pronounce the arrival of Uchiha Sasuke." Joshua said as he opened the door.

"Finally. About damn time." Fugaku mumbled as he looked at his watch.

"You can't give Sasuke a break, can you?" Itachi said to his father as he crossed his arms.

Fugaku frowned at his eldest son who stood at his left side. He decided to better stay quiet before Mikoto hears him, who was by the way, clinging at his right arm.

Sasuke came into his mansion with a bored look on his face, but stoic most of all.

Joshua and another unfamiliar butler bowed their heads for him. So did the two maids who stood aside.

"Father." Sasuke exclaimed as soon as he saw his father's own stoic face.

"Sasuke." Fugaku responded monotone.

"Sasuke, honey, you're back. I hope you have enjoyed yourself." Mikoto smiled, releasing herself from Fugaku to give her youngest son a hug. She stood on her tiptoes to reach him as Sasuke grew very tall over the years.

"Mom." Sasuke may have called his father, 'father' but his mother was the one who always supported him and had faith in him. So he called her plainly 'mom'. He had the closest bond with her.

She gave him a smile that could warm Sasuke's inside.

"Little brother." He heard the smooth and almost identical voice as his own, of his older brother.

Looking up from his mother to him, seeing Itachi smirk. Sasuke couldn't help but to slightly frown. He wasn't all too surprised that his parents were at his home, they've come regularly. His father came mostly to check up on the company, but, he was used to it. He didn't expect to see Itachi with them though.

Itachi and his father weren't exactly two hands on one belly. Itachi found his father too stressed and a workaholic, while his father found Itachi a tradition-breaker and a smartass.

So why the hell was he here?

"Itachi." He said monotone. Deciding that he better kept his thoughts to himself, he kept them in the back of his mind to ask him later this evening.

"Enough with the greetings, where have you been?" Fugaku slit through the almost comfortable atmosphere.

Sasuke faced his father. "Nowhere particular."

"Particular my ass. Do you know the condition of the company?" Even though his voice was calm, his tone was angry.

Something only an Uchiha was born to be able to pull off with ease.

"Fugaku, Please! Sasuke has just come home from a short vacation. At least you could wait until dinner before you complain about that damn company." Mikoto growled at him. Shutting Fugaku up almost immediately.

Sasuke and Itachi both hid a smirk. Their mother was the only one in the entire Uchiha family who can handle Fugaku and keep him on a leash. She didn't feared him like most people did.

_Maybe that's why he married her._

Mikoto smiled back at Sasuke. "Besides, it's not that I have both of my sons with me this much like it used to be. I'll rather converse about something else than work, work and more work."

Like always Sasuke and Itachi couldn't agree more with their mother. And this time, they both flashed her their own smirks of amusement.

Fugaku hated when she acted that way.

"Uuhm, excuse me?" A soft feminine voice came from the door.

Everybody whipped their heads towards the front door to see who had interrupted their little… family 'bonding'.

"Who the hell are you?" Fugaku demanded rather than inquired.

It was like he just didn't knew the significance of 'being polite'.

Polite wasn't in Uchiha Fugaku's vocabulary.

Sasuke had completely forgotten about her. It was mainly because Itachi had blown away his mind by appearing in his house.

"Uuhm, I-"

"This is Karin," Sasuke walked to her and put his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "My girlfriend."

"Your what?!" Fugaku couldn't help but to raise his voice.

"Girlfriend, huh?" Itachi said smugly while crossing his arms; smirking at the couple. Not just because they were supposed to be 'cute' but because any moment they would hear the full tantrum of their father.

"A girlfriend? Oh honey, that's wonderful! Why didn't you introduce her before?" Mikoto smiled while walking towards Sasuke and the red haired woman.

"Oh, aren't you lovely? I'm Uchiha Mikoto, Sasuke's mother." She flashed the new woman an enchanting smile. A smile that made her look more amazingly beautiful then she already was, and made her look like an angel as well.

Never in his life did Sasuke saw a woman smile as angelic as his mother.

"Yes, and I'm Uchiha Fugaku. Who cares? Who are you?" Fugaku was his harshly self again.

"Fugaku!" Mikoto said low to him. "Have some manners."

"I want to know the name of my son's girlfriend. Is that too much to ask?"

"Not in the way you're asking it." She glared at her husband, letting him know that he should stop.

But he ignored her glare and continued on the same way. "I've never heard that Sasuke had a girlfriend before he went with his lazy ass giving some excuse that he went on 'vacation'. Now that he came back, he got himself a woman. One who may be after _our _money."

"Uchiha Fugaku! I'm warning you for the last time!" Mikoto hissed.

Oh, she was serious alright. She called him at his full name, which only meant that she was pissed off and Fugaku better kept his mouth shut before he gets himself in many trouble.

"Don't pay attention to any of his ridiculous words." She shot him a glare again before smiling back to the couple. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"I'm Sarina Karin."

"Sarina… Sarina… that name sounds familiar." Mikoto looked up, clearly thinking.

"Wait!" Fugaku interfered again.

'_Here we go…'_ Sasuke thought.

"You're Sarina Kaori's daughter? Of Sarina corporations? That _Sarina_ you mean?"

Karin looked down, her face flushed. Whether it was of embarrassment or just plain blushing Sasuke didn't know. But her cheeks were having almost the same color as her hair and eyes.

"Yes." She responded softly.

There was a silence. A weird, uncomfortable silence that even somebody like Sasuke couldn't handle.

Everybody in the main entrance hall looked at Uchiha Fugaku whose face became completely blank and impassive.

Even Mikoto waited for her husband's response to that one.

But nothing.

He looked around and only said; "Oh. Fine."

'_That's it?!'_ Everybody thought surprised. Only 'Oh. Fine'?

Ok, stop and rewind. Who is this and what happened to the real Uchiha Fugaku?

Apparently it was the one and the same Fugaku who was staring back blankly. Everybody, really _everybody_ was taken aback by Fugaku's reply.

_Oookaaaay…_

Itachi faked a cough to break the icy silence.

"Yeah, this is my brother, Itachi." Sasuke turned with Karin and all towards the said man.

Itachi smirked only out of politeness. Lesson to be learned when he saw his mother get angry on his father.

"Karin, pleased to meet you." She smiled.

"Oh, the pleasure was truly all mine." Itachi said smoothly, expanding his hand to shake hers. And it was, seeing his father act this way was funnier than a stand-up comedian.

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* * *

'_H-h-h-his g-girlfriend?!'_

Sakura felt like someone cruelly stabbed her in her heart.

Here she was, standing in the main entrance hall with Marina, -The Bitch- Joshua, -The Head Butler- and Shiraku – one of the other Butlers- staring at the Uchiha family with a guest.

And not just any guest, it was a _Sarina_, and second, she was his…

'…'

Sakura gulped down the tears she felt rising in her emerald orbs.

She saw how Mr. Uchiha Fugaku just said 'Fine' with Sasuke's…

She saw how Mrs. Uchiha Mikoto just brightened when she heard the red haired woman was Sasuke's…

She saw how Itachi flashed one of his handsome smirks to Sasuke's…

All those things she wished she could have if she was Sasuke's _girlfriend_.

She wished that she was the one that Mr. Fugaku was ok with.

She wished that she got one of Mrs. Mikoto's mesmerizing smiles.

She wished that she saw one of Itachi's flirtatious smirks sent her way.

Oh, how she wished so many.

But it wasn't true.

That redhead - _Sarina Karin_- is Sasuke's girlfriend.

She inwardly sighed, she could handle this. When Sakura looked up again she saw that the Uchihas and their guest were heading for the living area. As she, Marina and Joshua followed suit, the other butler went the other way.

Where exactly did he go, Sakura couldn't care.

Her eyes were glued to the couple in front of her. Sasuke was still embracing her; his arm around her shoulder. He lowered his head a little to reach her ears, as he was a head taller than her, and whispered something that made her giggle like a little schoolgirl.

Sakura envied Karin with her life and beyond. If only she could make Karin disappear.

But that was only in her fantasy.

This was the real world.

And in the real world there is no such thing as good as in her imagination.

'_C'mon Sakura, toughen up. You know what they say, if it doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger. So, don't act like a child and show everybody that you aren't effected by Sasuke's girlfriend in any way!'_

Sakura decided that she agreed with her inner speaking and she looked up. Raising her chin and walked with confident.

If only _somebody_ noticed her.

To the _world_ she was invisible.

Sasuke bent down to place a small kiss on the Sarina's cheek. She merely smiled and cupped his handsome face.

'_This is definitely going to kill me.'_

Itachi plopped down on the sofa once again. His face was, like his father's, stoic and mostly impassive. His dark coal eyes, exactly like his mother's, were set on his little brother and the female.

Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha sat down on the cough, side by side looking at the couple. Mikoto probably sat next to Fugaku to keep him under check, as he may say something indecent.

"Oh my, where are my manners? Karin, sweetie, do you like something to drink?" Mikoto inquired smiling to them.

"Yes. I do, a _Spa_ with a lemon, please."

Mikoto nodded and in the same second she turned her head directly looking at Sakura.

Sakura was startled, she didn't prepare herself to get straightly looked at by half the room. Almost everyone except the happy couple was staring at her. Immediately taking the hint that it was a order to get her the drink. So she bowed shortly and made her way to the Grand Kitchen.

It turns out that Karin was a rich kid after all. _Spa_ is expensive mineral water that's imported all the way from Holland and is only available for aristocrats.

People like the Uchihas and Sarinas.

Oh, doesn't that sound nice? Uchihas _and_ Sarinas.

You could already picture it, with Thanksgiving the Uchihas would stay at the Sarina residence and with Christmas is the other way around.

Family outings, and all that crap that comes along.

Sakura growled as she tripped over something, almost landing on her face, but could caught something of that was made of wood to hold on to. She wasn't wearing her red thick glasses. Like hell she's going to put that huge thing on with Sasuke in the same room.

She would be like a mini pink version of Einstein.

Rubbing the invisible dirt off of her maid's uniform, that was a simple blue dress that reached her knee's with a white apron, she went on to the kitchen. Mella and Hotan were the kitchen servants. The chef and his assistant.

Sakura greeted them both, and they greeted back. She walked up to the Uchiha's overlarge refrigerator and grabbed a blue bottle of Spa.

Grabbing a glass with a slit lemon she walked back to the living room.

Finding Sasuke and Karin both on the cough next to Mikoto and Fugaku.

This was the part she didn't like. The part where everybody would stare at her.

Sakura was a simple girl. One of the servants of Uchiha's household. She was nobody important. An orphan, never knowing who her parents were, and invisible by nature.

She wasn't beautiful, heck she didn't even came near at the word 'nice', couldn't see clearly, is shy and quiet. She didn't like attention, because mostly when she did get it, they were all negative. So she rather stay out of the picture, ignored by everyone than get fooled in front of everybody. That's why she didn't like being stared at, at all.

She walked up to the glazed table to put the bottle with expensive water and the glass down when she just felt that Sasuke was looking at her.

Her mind panicked, saying to herself that she should put all her concentration on the bottle and glass and not to look anywhere besides the bottle and glass.

Gently she put the glass down, -that went well- she opened the bottle, -not a problem- filled the glass, -so far so good- and put the half empty Spa bottle beside the filled glass. Ok. Great.

She turned to leave as she miscalculated the space between her hand and the glass as the glass tipped over the edge of the table and splashed all around. The expensive imported water went every possible direction.

Suddenly, there was a screech.

"AAAAAARGH! OH MY GOD!" Karin screamed angry, her red eyes glaring to the pink haired woman.

"Look what you have done! These are my new Dolce and Gabbana shoes, you won't get them anywhere! Now they are ruined, you moron!" She pointed to her baby pink pumps that was as simple as every pumps would get, only at the side of the heel was a little D&G.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sweetie. Are you ok?" Mikoto asked worried.

"I'm fine but my shoes aren't!"

"Tch, that servant is always clumsy when she's isn't wearing those glasses the size of Mount Everest." Fugaku muttered, crossing his arms as if there wasn't a big deal.

Itachi smirked at the scene that was playing before him. Mikoto was sitting besides Sasuke's girlfriend now, rubbing her back like somebody has died and the woman is in grieve. The pink haired servant was apologizing over and over while Karin was insulting the heck out of her. Sasuke held Karin on her place, telling her that he would buy new ones for her.

It was good to come at his little brother's house today, he hadn't this much fun with his family for years.

Well… not exactly 'with' them, but because of them.

Mikoto waved Sakura away, and with a bowed head she turned to leave.

Marina followed her on her heel. "Nice job you geek, I couldn't have done it better."

Sakura said nothing as she continued on walking. Back to the servants' room.

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* * *

"And I let the glass drop with the water on her shoes. I couldn't help it, it was an accident!" Sakura sobbed as she finished tell the whole story to Ino.

"Whoa. W-wait, what? First, Sasuke has a _girlfriend_? Uh, yeah, like… since when? People like Sasuke doesn't have girlfriends. He has women. Many, many women. And you dropped Spa on her shoes? Ah come on! She needs to stop being a drama queen. It's _water_ not red wine! It'll dry and her Dolce and Gabbana shoes would be e-ok. "

"That's easy for you to say, they didn't get angry at you. I've never seen Sasuke glaring at me, and today, he did." Sakura wiped her nose. "He probably hates me forever."

"No, that's not true. They'll forget about it by tomorrow." Ino gave her a new tissue to clean her face from the fallen tears.

Emerald orbs looked into baby blue ones. "I hope so."

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**- One month later, Uchiha Mansion -**

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The whole staff has already eaten. It was kind of late, the sun was setting and the servants who didn't need to stay for the night shift already left to their homes and families.

Only Ino and Sakura sat in the kitchen, just finished with their own meal as they talked about nothing in particular. In other words, Ino was gossiping about Sasuke again.

"Two days ago he and Karin went to Disney world. Che, could you believe that? Uchiha Sasuke in Disney world? But I've heard he only went with her because she said 'it's fun and romantic'."

"If he wants to please his girlfriend then let him be." Sakura muttered, playing with her spoon.

"Yeah… but, still. He doesn't have to do everything she says. She's neither his boss nor his mother." Ino frowned at the thought of Karin.

At the very first impression of Sarina Karin, Ino knew she was so hating this woman. She was a spoiled princess with a bad attitude. And she maybe does have a beautiful body or something along that lines, her inside was pure ugly. She wondered what Sasuke saw in this woman.

"So, that means he's beginning to love her." Sakura almost whispered.

Ino deadpanned. "Love her?! Let's pray to God he's not! Or else _we_ are the ones who does not only have to serve her, but those children of them to come too! I hope I will never have to live and see that day. Besides… Sakura… are…-are you still, like, in love with Sasuke?"

"What?" Sakura snapped her head up, looking Ino in the eye. "W-why would you ask me that?"

"Because, you know, this must be, like, killing you?"

"Look, even if I still like him, it doesn't mean anything, ok? It's hopeless. Sasuke and I will never happen. I haven't even spoken to him. In those 2 years I'm working here, I didn't have the guts to say one word to him."

Ino grimaced. "If you haven't then you should. Even I said something to Sasuke once or twice, and if you want him to notice you, just on the friendly side, then you should open that pretty mouth of yours and com-mu-ni-cate. Get it?"

"I don't know…"

"Ah, Sakura darling, please. Just consider it. You've always wanted to help Sasuke in anything, if he's in trouble or needs a solution. Well, just open a simple conversation with him first, and if things go smoothly all will go with the flow." She grinned, trying to convince Sakura that it is a piece of cake.

While in fact she knew that talking to Uchiha Sasuke was as hard as talking to a wall. Especially when he's angry. But she's doing this for Sakura's own good. She wants to be on a friendly terms with him, then she does needs to talk to him.

Just like Joshua and Sasuke. They are in talking to each other like they're friends. At least, acquaintances. So can Sakura.

"But-"

"Don't but. You want to, so do it." Ino turned to see a shadow coming their way into the kitchen. "And here's your chance, good luck." With that, Ino sped off from the other door.

"What do you mean?" It was already too late, Ino was gone.

Just as she turned to follow her best friend she saw Sasuke entered the kitchen with a blank impression on his face.

She froze, unable to do or say anything. Ino knew this, that's why she left. But… what should she do now? What should she say?

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**A/N: Yep, till this far we will get this time. But I can assure you, with lots and lots of reviews, YOU could tell me that it's good and that I should keep posting, then I will. **

**A little explanation for this chapter. **

**So I made more than one bitch in this story. I just didn't want you all to hate Karin **_**alone**_**, I bet you all hate Marina too. Yes, my own OC that I came up with randomly because I plainly wanted to. Not only do you need to hate Marina and Karin in this plot, there are also little traces of Uchiha Fugaku's harshness. Yes, why did I do that, simple; in the story where I've based this plot on, **_**Acorralada**_**, the mother of the main character is a **_**Bitch**_** with a capital 'B'. And because of that, -the story of the mother being bad- was cool but I just couldn't make Mikoto an evil ass that everybody doesn't exactly hate, but just don't like. She seems sweet, and I didn't want to ruin her character. Fugaku though, is different story. In reality he wasn't all that great for Sasuke, made us feel a little bad about mini-Sasuke in that time. I don't hate or dislike Fugaku, but I just needed a parent that was just like the mother of that story.**

**I want to make this a crossover from Japanese and American, that's why you'll see that there are as much English names as Japanese ones. Oh, and if you guys had noticed, I'm putting the surname before their own names. Uchiha Sasuke, instead of Sasuke Uchiha. So, if you see a OC name that you never heard of, remember that his/her first name is behind the surname. Hanatoshia Ryuu, so the name would be Ryuu. Just to clear that up.**

**Other than that I just want you guys to tell me if I kept Sasuke or Itachi out of their character. **

**Yeah, you can't really say of Itachi but tell me if you don't picture him that way. **

**So, thank you people! I love you with all my heart and I wish I could sent free cookies and Ben & Jerry's to all of you! Yay!**

**P.s Did you guys see what I meant with bad grammar and those things? So, still looking for that Beta-Reader!**

**R & R.**

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_Their pads will __never__ collide. _

_Never__ say __never._

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_In the Palms of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_To Be Continued.._

_Stay Tuned for Next Time, same Site, same Story._

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	2. Broken

**A/N: Ah, yes, a new chapter. And me, Drama Queen, was waiting for the day to finally release this one. I just want to make people feel the way I felt when I was reading fan fictions but that's just boring talk.**

**Ok, as many of you already guessed, this is the chapter where Sakura and Sasuke finally are going to talk together. Ghehe, in here Sasuke falls madly in love with Sakura and immediately he breaks up with Karin-bitch and marries Sakura to live happily ever after!**

**Yeah right… did you guys believe that part? **

**Me neither. There's still a long way to come. **

**I want to say thank you to; -Drum rolls, please- **_**Kazuchan06**_** For you have informed me about Sasuke's mother. **

**Everybody, I'm sorry for writing her name wrong, I didn't mean to and frankly I'm a little lazy to go back and correct them all, but… I have correct them in the following chapters. Please forgive me, and may I have a applause to **_**Kazuchan06**_

**I really thought her name was Mikito… whahaha… turns out that I wasn't paying attention when I was reading/viewing the manga/Anime. Lol. **

**Once again, please forgive me.**

**Anyway, I've got nothing else to say so…**

**Disclaimer:**_** Naruto**_** doesn't belong to me in any way, only when you see a complete sex-scene between Sasuke and Sakura then you'll know that I menaced/bribed Kishimoto-san to draw one. Oh, and neither does all the other brands I've put in here belongs to me. -Sad-**

**P.S Rewrote this chapter… I hope it's better.**

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'_Remember, life isn't about how many breaths you take, but about the moments that takes your breath away.' - __**Will smith, Alex Hitchens; Hitch**_

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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Sasuke was alone alright. He walked straight to the overlarge fridge to grab a pack of orange juice.

Sakura took in his appearance. He wore simply a black sweatpants and a black shirt above, meaning that he was in his room doing nothing important.

Karin wasn't in the house so he didn't look the best of the best. Even though that isn't exactly needed since she's his girlfriend and she had seen him in lesser than those sweats.

When he took a sip of his drink, his face twisted in an unpleasant way. It was either that he had a problem he was thinking off or the drink is spoiled.

Sakura chose the above. Now was the perfect time to say at least something, to get his attention. He wasn't looking at her. Heck, she wondered if he even knew that she was sitting there. But he was too deep in thoughts to notice.

'_C'mon Sakura! Say something! Anything!_

_Damn it, but what? _

_Doesn't matter, just… speak!'_

"Uuhm, is there anything wrong, sir?" She asked in the tiniest voice.

She cursed herself for speaking so soft like a 5 year old who's too shy to say something to an elder.

Now Uchiha Sasuke looked up to her, noting that he wasn't the only one in the kitchen.

"No." He shook his head. Immediately, his face went back to that thinking position.

She couldn't give up now, she already started it, and before she chickened out she blabbered; "Are you sure there's nothing I could help you with?"

He looked up once again; ready to say no when he stopped. He eyed her for a moment and Sakura felt a cold shiver running over her back. It wasn't like she was eyed by Uchiha Sasuke often but, when he did, she couldn't help but shudder. There was something in his gaze, in those onyx, unreadable eyes of him that was creepy yet delightful. Like you wanted to stare in them all day, yet when he looks at you, you can't handle the intensity of those orbs so you want to look away.

"What does a woman want for present?"

His voice was so deep and masculine that Sakura got goose bumps. Keeping herself in check she tried to find an answer to his question.

"That depends on her taste." It took all her power not to stutter or drool while talking.

"It's for Karin. Her birthday is over two days."

She was surprised actually that Sasuke told her that piece of information. She would've expect that he would keep that for himself since he doesn't share even sentences, let alone something like that.

"Oh. Well… she's already rich, so she probably has everything. You can always steal somebody's heart with something meaningful. In this case something small that was precious to you. Something, like a necklace. Or a ring. Earrings. In that direction."

Damn. Where the hell did she get the confident to speak _that_ much without losing her confident?

Sasuke's face lightened up, like he suddenly knew the solution of world hunger. Well, at least that unpleasant façade of him was gone. Now it was replaced by an indifferent one.

"Hn. I've never given a woman a gift before." He shot her a ghost of a smirk before drinking half content of his glass.

Sakura asked herself why Sasuke had never given a girl a present before. She means, there were always women hanging around him, either they were drooling all over him or he was sleeping with them. -One night stands.- But that he didn't know what they exactly liked was strange.

Sure, the women he slept with were gorgeous, -but shallow- yet that shouldn't mean that he doesn't know not even one quality of what a woman likes when getting presents. Serious presents, not just flowers and a box of chocolate.

Shrugging it off, she replied with a smile. "It was nothing. Anything to help you sir."

He stayed quiet for a moment, looking at her with his impassive face.

Sakura couldn't stand his stare so she cast her eyes down, finding her still empty plate suddenly very interesting.

"What's your name?"

_Whaaaat?!_

Sakura whipped her head up, looked at her boss. Did he actually asked her name?

Whoa. Wait, is the sky still blue? Are there any pigs flying because she believes she saw one fly in the corner of her eye.

"S-Sakura." She stuttered. "Why?"

Sasuke shrugged with a jerk of both his shoulders. "For nothing, I know mostly servants around here by name, now you're one of them." He stated monotone like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Maybe for him, but certainly not for Sakura. Who would've guessed that Sasuke would think that way?

Well, now she recalls that he does call Mr. Hanika -The Head Butler- at his first name, Joshua.

"Only Sakura?"

"Uuhm… Haruno Sakura." He had a sudden interest for her whole name.

He nodded once, finished his drink, turned and walked away.

He lingered at the door for a moment, "Thank you, Sakura." And left.

Sakura felt a jolt of happiness going through her as well as electricity bolts of desire going over her spine when she heard THE Uchiha Sasuke say her name.

He made her name sound so erotic and dreary, and wrong yet oh-so good at the same time.

This is like a dream coming true, well… at least the first part of her dreams. Because her real dreams were marrying Sasuke, but what the heck, he said her name. In reality! And it felt amazing.

Of pure happiness, she began to breathe uneven, and stopping herself before she began to hyperventilate, she thought about going to find Ino. The pig.

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"Ah, C'mon Sakura, he only said your name. He didn't ask you to marry him, calm down!" Ino tried to get the pink haired woman off of her arm.

Sakura clung to her because she was so happy. "Only said my name? Gosh Ino, he said _my_ name! I can't believe it! I love you, Ino. With all my heart. I think I even love Marina right now!" She grinned.

"Ok, forehead, I think you're going a little too far into this. Loving Marina? Not in a million years, even if Sasuke confessed his love for you over and over again!"

Hmm, Ino had a point.

"Ah, whatever. We should be rejoicing because he noticed me. He noticed _me_! Little old me!" Sakura's braid swung from left to right when she danced around of happiness.

"Yeah, now we just have to kill Karin and wait until he falls in love with you. Jeez Sakura, he probably knows the names of many people. Including me! Do you see me thinking he's going to fall for me?"

"I didn't say that he was going to fall for me now, but I'm just glad he does know me." Sakura sighed.

"You are so naïve, little Sakura. Let me tell you something about creatures who never grows up and goes by the name; Boys. If a boy, in this case, a man, doesn't notice you from the beginning, liking you, I mean, then you have little chance that he'll-"

"I know, Ino. I know. Look, Uchiha Sasuke will never like me. Hell, I should be happy if he even considers me as one of his friends. The kind of women Sasuke falls for has money, a good background and besides that, are beautiful. I'm far from all that. I don't have money, I don't even know what my background is, and I'm certainly everything besides beautiful. I'm not his type of girl." Sakura said the last part sad as she looked down to clean her red, thick glasses with the hem of her apron.

Ino's face fell when she heard Sakura tell her that. She knew that Sakura was as poor as a street rat. She lived in a something that was too small for a child to play in, and still she dares to call it a house. Because of that, Sakura was mostly staying at the Uchiha residence. Taking every nightshift she could get.

She also knew that Sakura was an orphan and has lived here and there. Never knowing who her parents were and where she originally comes from.

And although she would never admit it out loud, Sakura really wasn't the most attractive girl around.

So Ino felt pity for her best friend, for as long as Sakura could remember things had gone wrong in her life. Destiny could give her a break and at least let her befriend someone like Uchiha Sasuke.

"I'm going to bed." Sakura whispered and left Ino by herself.

-

-

-

* * *

**- 3 months later. Miami Beach - **

**

* * *

  
**

"So teme, what's the deal between you and that Karin chick? You've been dating her for, like, four months now."

Sasuke ignored Naruto while he floated on his back in the Atlantic ocean. This was exactly what he needed. Relaxing in the water.

The sun burned quite hard this time of year, -even though the sun burned the entire year in Miami- the cold water was a nice refreshment.

The giant pool he had in his backyard just wasn't good enough.

Deciding this morning that he would take a dip in the sea, when suddenly Naruto called him. The last time he saw that blond dobe was last week, when they went to a party in West-Miami. The other guys were there as well and of course Sasuke came with Karin.

There was a lot of alcohol, meaning a lot of drinking, turned out; great, steamy sex that night. Karin just hadn't any boundaries when she's drunk. Sasuke smirked at the thought and he couldn't help but to think almost every moment about her.

Karin was… something. Something different he just can't describe, but all he knew, all that was important, was that he liked it. He liked _her_.

Maybe that's why he kept her around. She was interesting to see, and maybe she does talk a lot, just like some obnoxious knuckle head he knows, but he was used to it.

If he could put up with Naruto's blabbering his entire life then he could as hell handle someone as 'innocent' as Karin. As no one is worse than Uzumaki Naruto.

Sasuke's best friend and rival since diapers. Naruto's father, Namikaze Minato was Fugaku's business partner. Also they were best friends, until Minato was killed while trying to save somebody.

He died as a hero.

Both Sasuke and Naruto were 2 when Minato died. So none of them knew him. The blond who looks two drops like his father, lives with his mother, Uzumaki Kushina, in their own mansion. Naruto wasn't poor, don't be mistaken in that, he was a rich kid, born with a silver spoon in the mouth just like Sasuke, only he wasn't _as_ rich as the Uchihas.

"Sasuke-teme! Hello! Acknowledge me when I'm talking to you, Stupid ass! I hate it when you do that." He splashed some salt water into the handsome face of Sasuke.

The Uchiha came up with the speed of lightning. "Fuck, Naruto. Cut it." Just like his father, Sasuke's voice was calm but his tone was angry.

"Your own damn fault, asshole. Did you even heard what I said to you?" Naruto raised to stand on his feet. The water reaching his hips.

He angrily crossed his arms and glared at Sasuke who shot him a death glare back. Naruto didn't blink at all for the deep frown that Sasuke was equally sending his way. He was already used to it for years now.

"Don't do that again." Sasuke growled, menacing Naruto.

"Or what?" Naruto dared, having a smug smirk on his face.

Sasuke narrowed his onyx eyes, Naruto did the same.

"You'll see." Sasuke said low.

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, right. Bring it on, bozo."

"Stop it right there." Kiba came between them before the one jumped on the other.

"Why?!" Both Sasuke and Naruto shot at Kiba.

"Because we're here to chill, dudes. So stop gettin' y'all freak on."

"Che. Whatever." Sasuke turned. Naruto followed him. "Yo, bastard, you didn't answer the question. Why are you still with Karin? That's so not like you, teme."

"Yeah, what's happenin' boy? Since when do ya chill with a thong that long?" Kiba wondered just like the blond.

"Dude, thong? The hell?" Naruto arched a eyebrow at the dark brown haired fellow besides him in the water.

"Ya kno', a chick, one great piece of ass, someone to get ya tune on." Kiba wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"Uh, yeah… whatever. So Sasuke, what's going on?"

"Nothing." Sasuke shrugged it off, lying back in the water to float more.

"This is not the end, teme. You're not someone who stays with a chick longer than a night. And now you're here with this Karin figure for over four months!"

Sasuke looked at his two friends, running a hand through his wet hair while he tried to figure out an answer for them. Because knowing Naruto he won't stop until he gets his reply. Definitely not if Kiba's with him.

"I kept on with her because I wanted to." It was honest and straight to the point.

"Wait. You… you're not in _love_ with Karin, are you?" Naruto stared with his eyes so blue that could put the ocean and sky to shame, wide-eyed to his best friend.

Sasuke kept silent.

"Whoa, ya know, this is B.I.G! Not only is the S- to the A-man datin' _one_ thong in a long time, our daddy ovah here is gettin' old too, dude!" Kiba frowned up to the Uchiha.

Naruto's face twisted into confusion. "Huh? Man, you're as old as him! As us!"

"Yeah, that's true. But mentally, Sasuke's like my grandpa. His instincts are just like tellin' 'em that he needs to settle with a woman. Snizzle my fizzle?"

"Oh no, not that." Naruto turned to the ebony haired man. "Sasuke-teme, you can't be serious. Are you in love with Sarina Karin?"

Sasuke's mind registered Naruto's words. He never has thought about that subject before.

He knew that he didn't want to lose Karin. Not right now anyway. Something in him told him that he had to keep Karin at his side. It was very rare for him to find a woman interesting and he should treasure that little value thing.

Maybe he is in love.

This was the first time that a woman had made him feel this way. He wasn't already tired of Karin after one night just like the other women.

So yeah, he could be in love.

"Dude, you're awfully quiet. So, are you?"

Onyx eyes moved upwards to see the serious faces of Kiba and Naruto who doesn't even like making serious facades.

"Yeah. I am."

-

-

-

* * *

**- One month later, Uchiha mansion. - **

**

* * *

  
**

It was dark outside, maybe 10 or 11 o'clock in the evening. The weather was hot like always but there was a nice cool breeze going through the air. The nocturnal insects were making serene music in the plants and bushes. An owl was howling making the night seem peaceful, yet eerie at the same time. A half full moon with thousands of little stars at his side lightened the sky. Every pair of eyes who looked up to them couldn't help but to look in awe.

Especially the pair of onyx and pair of crimson eyes that looked up to them right now.

"Ne, Sasuke, come and take a swim with me in your pool." Karin winked at her boyfriend who walked beside her and pointed to the huge open-pool that was in his Grand Garden.

Sasuke looked around, nobody, then nodded.

They both began stripping off of their clothes like two teenagers who're breaking in the neighbors pool to take an illegal dip.

Karin was the first who was finished and jumped with a black bra and matching thong of Victoria's Secret, into the cool water.

She giggled like a child when the liquid hit her skin. Her red hair instantly glued to her back and shoulders as she jerked her head towards Sasuke.

"Sasuke come on! The water is great!"

Said man smirked standing only his black boxers that's costume made by Armani.

Karin wasn't effected by his gorgeous, Greek-god like body for she has seen it many, _many_ times before. Even without the boxers.

Sasuke dove head first into the water, swimming under the surface until he reached the half naked Karin and came up right in front of her. His wet hair glued like rat tails at his face and Karin run her hand through his silky but wet hair, getting the irritating bangs out of his eyes.

"There you go." She smiled, cupping his face with her lingering hand.

He couldn't help but smirk and kiss her for that little unimportant act.

"You know Sasuke," Karin said as she pulled back from his entrancing kiss. "It's precisely today that your friend has thrown that party on your yacht. And I've met you."

One side of Sasuke's lips curled up. "And today was the first time you went in my bed."

Karin laughed shortly. "That was… uuhm, five months ago? Since then the sex just became better and better."

Sasuke couldn't have agreed more.

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura walked through the Grand Garden, enjoying of the nature, the flowers and animals, and thinking of Sasuke.

She saw some fireflies fly gently around each other in the dark trees. She sighed, how she wished she was walking with Uchiha Sasuke right now. Enjoying the nature together, enjoying of each other.

She would cling to his strong muscled arm while he would smirk that sexy smirk of his in that flawless beautiful face. They would stare at the fireflies and the stars together while he embraced her from behind. Then they would go back upstairs to make sweet, sweet love.

Sakura sighed again when she suddenly heard the sound of splashing water and laughter.

What could that be? She thought while she sneaked on her tiptoes to the swimming pool.

She vaguely saw two figures in the water, one much taller than the other, but because she wasn't wearing her glasses she couldn't make out who it was. In the side pocket of her white apron, she grabbed her thick red glasses. Coming a little closer to hear what they were saying.

When she had the glasses on she gasped.

It was her boss; Uchiha Sasuke and his girlfriend Sarina Karin. And she was all over him.

"Five months is a very long time for me to stay with a woman, you know."

That was the voice of Sasuke. Sakura could recognize his voice out of thousands.

"Is it now? I can understand that, but… what are you exactly trying to say? I don't think you want to inform me at how long you actually stay with a woman, do you?"

Hmph, that Karin was a smartass was she?

"No." Sasuke answered. "I want you to marry me."

'_Ooooh my God! H-he said it so casually!'_

"Marry me?" Karin asked just as calm. "That's so sudden. I'm not exactly a girl who wants to bound with one person for eternity."

'_Ooooh my God! I-is she rejecting him?'_

"You're with me for five whole months now. I can give you anything you want. Our parents wouldn't have any rejections for this."

"I know. Does that mean I need to marry you?" She smirked. Toying with him.

Sasuke's eyes harden. "Do you love me?"

Karin's smirk grew. "Yes."

"And I love you."

'_Ooooh my God! He said that he loved her!'_

"So marry me."

Karin snaked her arms around Sasuke's neck and played with the back of his wet hair.

"Only if you promise me that I'll get a new car."

"Hn."

With that, Karin smiled and kissed her new fiancé.

-

-

-

* * *

"Inooo! Ino! Ino! Ino! OH MY GOD, INOOOO!" Sakura yelled, tears threaten to fall in the corner of her eyes.

"What?! What is it?!" Ino asked worried as she saw Sakura's sadden face, who was still wearing her glasses, or else she couldn't see at all with her blurry vision.

"He-he… oh God… He…"

"He, what?"

"Sasuke asked Karin to marry him!"

"He did what?!" Ino was beyond shock.

"They're engaged!"

Ino gaped at Sakura like fish out of water.

This… this was unbelievable. Uchiha Sasuke is _engaged_ with a woman?

'_Duh, it couldn't be a man…'_

The point was that Sasuke, the notorious playboy Sasuke, who just can't stay with one woman longer than one night, is engaged? The same notorious playboy Sasuke who loves women? Different types of women?

Unbelievable.

Since Sasuke was a pro-businessman for his company he'd only been with women. Catching up for his youth because most of the time he was studying and trying to impress his father and step out of his brother's light.

But… he is actually settling with _one _woman and not entire Miami?

Un-freaking-believable.

Sakura sat down on the bed and tried to hold down her sobs.

What should Ino say?

Sakura had a crush on Sasuke from the first day she worked here, and now, she just heard him propose to a woman Ino thought he would never stay with. But who was she trying to lie? Sasuke would never even see a girl like Sakura stand, let alone, fall in love with. So she can't lie to Sakura say that it will be ok, because it won't.

Even if Sasuke doesn't marries Karin, he would just skip on to the next woman. And that will not be Sakura. Ino was sure of that.

There she was, saying a month or two ago that she hoped and thought that Karin and Sasuke will never stay together, she guessed they had proven her wrong.

It was all hopeless.

"Sakura… I… I…"

"You don't have to say anything." The pink haired woman whispered, putting her red glasses on the night stand. "I know. It'll be fine."

Ino blinked several times but chose to stay quiet. She hadn't anything to say to her best friend to make her feel good and she's definitely not going to lie.

"I'm sorry, Sakura." Ino said softly.

Sakura didn't even react to her words, but laid there completely still like she was asleep.

-

-

-

* * *

**- Next day, Uchiha mansion - **

**

* * *

  
**

"Sasuke, what's the meaning of this? Why do you call me and your mother to be here so urgent?" Fugaku slightly glared.

Sasuke said nothing but stared at his plate before him. He sat at the table eating his breakfast while his mother and father was before him, joining him in this early meal.

"Because today," Sasuke began calmly, still not looking his father or mother in the eye. "There is an important meeting."

"A meeting?" Fugaku's tone in his voice switched from half angry to almost content. "Is there now? Well, I can cooperate with that."

Sasuke knew that if he made it sound like it was a company meeting his father would be ok with it. Little did he know was that it was a private meeting, and he will see somebody today that he maybe doesn't like.

"I don't get why you've called us for a meeting. Really Sasuke, honey, those company business things are so stiff and boring. I can't stand them." Mikoto crunched her nose in disgust.

"Don't worry mom." Sasuke assured her.

-

-

-

* * *

"May I pronounce the arrival of Uchiha Itachi." Hanika Joshua said as Itachi came into the dining room with an impassive face.

"Mother, Father, you're here as well." It wasn't a question. Just a note out loud. "I see Sasuke has called for you too."

"Yes." Fugaku had small, lightly visible smirk on his robotic façade. "An important meeting later this day."

Important meeting?

Itachi fought the urge to arch his eyebrow.

He wasn't stupid, he knew. Whatever Sasuke has called for wasn't about the company, or else his mother wouldn't have tagged along with his father. She hated everything that was about business. That and the fact that Sasuke long since stopped discussing company matters with any of his relatives.

Shrugging it off with one jerk of his shoulders, he took a seat next to Sasuke.

"Little brother," He stated. "I assume that it's very important that you've even called _me_ to join you today. That's so unlike you." He smirked. Knowing very well that his little brother doesn't like to be taunted in any way.

But Sasuke was as relaxed as him and smirked right back, making him look two drops of water like Itachi. "If you don't mind, _big brother_, I've decided that even you must participate in the meeting of today. I didn't call it important if it wasn't."

Content with Sasuke's smartass comment, he grabbed a piece of bread and some orange juice to join his parents with this meal.

"Oh, I'm always so glad if all my boys are with me. It makes me feel like a true family again. Such a long time ago that we all had joined together to eat breakfast." Mikoto smiled. Truly glowing because her whole family was there with here.

This is exactly how she always wanted it.

A servant came to grab the empty plates on the table.

"Haruno." Sasuke called.

The servant with the pink hair and the red thick glasses looked up to Mikoto and Fugaku's son.

"Yes?" She asked shyly, a light blush covering her cheeks.

"Can you bring me some more water?" Sasuke didn't bother to look up to her.

"S-sure, sir." The woman bowed and walked away.

"Hmm, Sasuke, honey, I think someone's in love with you." Mikoto grinned.

Sasuke's head shot up. "Who?"

Mikoto stared at her youngest son for a moment. Does he truly not see that the pink haired woman liked him must means that he was really blind.

Not wanting to betray the poor servants feelings by saying it out loud and embarrassing her, she just shook her head and shrugged it off.

"Nobody, my son. Nobody special."

It was not like Sasuke was going to fall for her ever anyway.

-

-

-

* * *

**- Tatiana estate - **

**

* * *

  
**

"Kiki I can't. He asked me to marry him. I can't do this to him."

"Karin, I know you don't love him."

"But I do. I do love him, and I accepted his proposal. I'm his fiancée, Kiki."

"Oh, if you love him so much, then why did you came to me all those months?"

"Kiki, that was pure-"

"No. It wasn't physical. Don't lie. And why are you here now?"

"To cut it off. I can't go on longer, especially if I'm going to marry him."

"Heh, your sure?"

"I… I think I am."

"You're not."

-

-

-

* * *

**- That afternoon, Uchiha mansion - **

**

* * *

  
**

"So you brought us to the backyard, for what? To look at little flowers?" Fugaku asked as he eyed the strange surrounding.

"No." Sasuke replied monotone.

"Why are there three other seats over?" Itachi inquired. He wasn't one to get fooled that easily.

Sasuke said nothing, cursing Itachi for all the things he pays attention to. Can't he just shut his mouth up for once?

"You two complain too much, I find it very nice that Sasuke has brought us outside for a late lunch." Mikoto eyed her husband, who was like always looking super impassive at everyone.

"Whatever." Itachi muttered.

Suddenly, Joshua walked up to the three. "Good afternoon." He greeted.

"Good afternoon, to you too." Mikoto was the only one who greeted back.

"Young, Mr. Uchiha." Joshua beckoned Sasuke to follow him.

Sasuke walked over to the head butler. "Are they here?" He asked when they were out of ear shot from his parents and brother.

"Yes, sir. Should I lead them to the Grand Garden and pronounce their arrival?"

Sasuke nodded. "Do that. Just bring them, don't pronounce them. I'll inform my parents myself."

Mr. Hanika bowed and left.

Sasuke turned back.

"The meeting is about to start, so prepare for some people's arrival." Sasuke announced.

"People that I already know?" Fugaku asked.

"Why should I be in this?" Mikoto asked right behind him.

"You all should be here because it's important for me."

"For _you_?" Fugaku asked like Sasuke's well being wasn't important at all. "I thought this was about the company."

"I never told you it was about the company. I said that it was a meeting. I didn't say it was a meeting about any business at all."

"Then you've called me for something insignificant?"

"It isn't insignificant, Fugaku. It's about our _son._ Show some affection." Mikoto frowned at her husband.

Sasuke and Itachi both held a snort for this. Affections? Fugaku? Ha! Not even if his life was depending on it! The word like 'affection' and 'Fugaku' couldn't ever be placed in the same sentence unless the words 'does not have' are between them. He didn't knew the meaning of that word. Never had and never will.

"Mom, father, Itachi," Sasuke called, getting all the attention of the said people. "You guys remember Karin right?"

"Yes." Sasuke's parents answered equally. Itachi nodded.

"Your girlfriend, right?" Mikoto shot him a teasing smirk.

"That gold digger right?" Fugaku followed.

"Uchiha Fugaku! I'm warning you. You will not speak that way, do you hear me!" Mikoto glared at him with an intensity of thousand burning suns.

And Fugaku kept himself in check then.

"What's with her?" Itachi asked bored.

"She's joining us for this lunch."

"Yeah, so? Why do we want to know that?" Itachi continued.

"With her parents."

Everyone went silent.

If a girl came with her parents and her boyfriend's parents were there too, then there must be something going on.

Itachi's mind went through some possibilities.

Either she's pregnant.

Or they want the family to meet the other for holidays and so they can move 'forward'.

Not a minute later, Karin showed up. Hugging Sasuke and giving him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Uchiha, Mrs. Uchiha and of course, Uchiha Itachi." Karin smiled friendly to each and every one of them.

Mikoto smiled as angelic as always and Sasuke smirked at that.

Fugaku's face was completely blank and unreadable as Sasuke assumed and Itachi flashed the red haired woman a smirk.

"Good to see you again sweetie, sit. Sit." Mikoto pointed to the nearest chair besides her.

"Oh, I'm here with my parents too." Karin turned.

They all followed her gaze to see a man and a woman, both dressed in very expensive clothes, with Joshua a little behind the couple.

The man, who wore a kaki colored Versace suit, had a brown Cuban cigar in the corner of his mouth, fine short black hair, and amused but hard amber looking eyes, stared back at them.

The woman, who wore a white exclusive mid-afternoon suit; existed of a skirt that reached her knees and a blazer, with long red hair that was pulled into a tight bun, was looking quite impassively to the other family.

Fugaku raised slowly to his feet when the older man and woman came into his vision. His dark eyes narrowed, taking a step towards them, crossing his arms and he groaned in his throat.

The man with the Cuban cigar in the corner of his mouth, took the same menacing step into their direction.

"Sarina…" Fugaku growled. "Kaori."

The said man, Sarina Kaori, smiled half-hearted when he heard his name drop in a venom like way. "Ah, Uchiha Fugaku. Long time no see. How's the life?" His voice, amused till no end, just like his eyes, still had something threaten in it. Like he can snap any moment.

"Perfectly fine. Thank you." Fugaku answered in total sarcasm.

"Haven't seen you or your lovely wife since Namikaze Minato's death, God rest his soul. I see that everything went indeed well for you. Just as your sons." He smirked.

Fugaku decided not to answer that, only because he saw the glare his wife shot him.

"We haven't seen you either, only heard a thing or two. But I assume you and your wife are peach ok." Mikoto answered for Fugaku, as she know that he was probably going to say something rude and stupid.

"Lana, how are you?" She followed.

Lana, the woman with the red hair and eyes so crimson as blood looked up. Not paying attention to her manicured nails anymore.

"Oh, I'm fine Mikoto. Nice for you to ask." And she looked down to her hand again.

"Gosh," Kaori interrupted. "Is that little Itachi?"

Itachi who was looking at the scene before him quietly snapped his head up to Karin's father. "I suppose I am." He said calmly.

"Not so little anymore I see. You were four or five years old the last time I saw you. Such a calm little boy you were. Not wanting to play with any of the other children at all. I always thought that there was something strange about you, but you turned out fine, just like your… father." His amber eyes moved to the furious Uchiha Fugaku.

He could see it in Fugaku's death glare that he just wanted to punch him in his face. He was pushing it, but this was so much fun. Besides, how many times can he get some amusement out of _the_ perfect Uchiha family?

None. So he grabbed the first chance he got. And this was it.

"Sasuke was then a little baby. Crying in his mother's arms." He continued. But nothing came from Sasuke. Only a blank and rather cold stare.

Well, he was no fun.

"Yeah, our father became strong enough to even be a good competition for someone like you." Itachi shot back with the utter calmness his father should have too.

Kaori frowned. Not quite liking with Itachi meant with that comment. Neither he was so fun. He guessed they were true brothers after all.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Kaori told them, the mirth out of his tone.

"Fugaku, sit down." Mikoto hissed quietly so that nobody around them would hear her.

And with another growl in his throat, he obliged and sat down.

"Daddy, why don't you take a seat." Karin said to her father. She stood still against Sasuke looking at what was going down between the Uchihas and the Sarinas.

Kaori looked at the three empty seats that were left and chose the seat farthest away from Uchiha Fugaku. Karin's mother, Lana, walked without even looking anyone in the eye towards a chair next to her husband's.

Karin inwardly sighed. "This is going to be a whole lot more difficult then we speculated." Whispering to Sasuke.

The ebony haired male nodded. "Hn."

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura stood at a window, inside the Uchiha mansion, looking at the two families in the Grand Garden. She was sure that they couldn't see her but she could see them.

'_They're going to announce the engagement here.'_ Sakura thought sad.

Her glasses slipped off the bridge of her nose and with one finger, she shoved it back up.

She had to wear them now or else she couldn't see a thing of what was going on down there.

Although she wished she didn't had her glasses on right now, so she wouldn't have to see all the hugs and chaste kisses Karin and Sasuke were sharing.

"Hey forehead, what are you looking at?" Ino walked up to her with a groom in her hands.

She was probably cleaning some room, like it should, instead of spying on people.

"Ssh, Ino-pig, I'm trying to look."

"Look at what?" Ino came to stand next to her pink haired friend to see what exactly she was looking at.

"You're not supposed to be sneaking around to eavesdrop."

"How can I eavesdrop if I can't hear one single word what they're saying?" Sakura arched her brows.

"Jeez, it's just a matter of speech. The point is you're not supposed to be here." The platinum blond haired woman frowned.

"Well, neither do you."

"Oh, I'm just here to-"

"You two!" They heard a yell in an awful voice from a very awful person. "What are you two doing here? You need to clean, come on, you know your chores." Marina walked up to the two housemaids who were half paying attention to her and glancing out of the window.

Her black long hair strode behind her proudly, swinging softly from left to right with the soft wind she created of the long strides towards the two women.

"What are you two looking- Oh my god! Is that the Uchihas and the Sarinas together?" She screeched. Not believing her chocolate brown eyes.

"Yes." Both Ino and Sakura confirmed.

"What are they doing? And why is that Karin-bitch still hanging onto _my_ Sasuke?" Marina hissed. Glaring hard to the back of the red haired female.

"_Your_ Sasuke?" Ino chuckled.

Marina turned her glaring brown eyes to the other female at her side. "Yeah, you heard me correctly, _my_ Uchiha Sasuke. I know that it won't take long for him to break up with that ugly wrench over there, and then it's my turn."

"Well, you can forget about Sasuke being _yours_ because, and I hope you hear me correctly, for _your_ information, _your_ Sasuke is going to announce his _engagement_ with Miss Sarina Karin, right here."

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" Marina screamed her throat out, making her voice hoarse like hell when she continued. "He is going to marry that witch! Impossible! No way! No freaking way!" Marina's breath became uneven, like she'd just run miles and miles non-stop. "I can't believe it…" She took a breath. "He-he's actually… keeping... that whore… around."

"I wouldn't call her a whore, because after they are married, _you_ are the one who needs to serve them, clean _their_ bedroom, on the bed _they_ had sex in, and not much later, _you_ have to clean the bedrooms of the little Uchihas running around." Ino grinned evilly, rubbing it in, in Marina's face.

Although, she had no idea that she was hurting the quiet Sakura too.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Marina shook her head, as in shaking her herself, trying to get out of this nightmare.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. It's all true,"

Here's where Ino's face came closer to Marina's, and whispered; "And there's _nothing_ that _you_ can do about it."

Marina looked up to Ino's face with terrifying eyes. It was like she saw the most horrible thing happen, an apocalypse, the blue moon, walking zombies, all together. This was worse than anything bad that had ever happened in history.

The thought of Sasuke and Karin together, _married_, made Marina sick. She felt her whole lunch coming up again, her vision became slightly blurry, and her head began to turn.

"Marina, you suddenly look so pale, are you alright?" Ino faked a concerned voice. Like she could actually give a shit about how Marina felt. The worse the better.

"I-I need a bathroom…" The black haired woman turned on her heel, run away with her hand on her mouth.

Ino grinned proudly of herself. Feeling totally victorious of what she did to Marina.

"That was a little cruel." Sakura said softly behind Ino.

"Ah man, she deserved it. That's what you get if you act like a total biatch."

Sakura knew that the platinum blond was right, but the words she had spoken that was meant to hurt Marina, has hurt her as well. She felt guilty, because she knew what Marina was going through right now. Seeing the man that she had a crush on, or even fell madly in love with, just like her, is going to marry someone else right in front of you.

And the pain isn't pleasant. Not pleasant at all.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Come on Sakura, don't tell me you're choosing her side, remember all those times she has treated us like shit."

"I know… but you have to understand that-"

Just when Sakura was about to explain to Ino how she and Marina exactly felt, they heard a loud yell coming from the Grand Garden on the other side of the glass.

"YOU ARE WHAT?!"

-

-

-

* * *

Both Fugaku and Kaori raised to their feet. Their chairs falling in the grass behind them.

"You're what?!" They repeated.

"Engaged, daddy." Karin smiled softly while holding Sasuke's hand.

The younger Uchiha stared blankly up into his father's glaring eyes, not even blinking in the least.

"This is absurd." Fugaku lowered his voice, only not his tone. He was beyond furious.

"I can assure you father, it isn't." Sasuke replied as calm as a light breeze.

Fugaku's eyebrows twitched. "Sasuke…" He growled low.

"Karin, princess, tell me you're kidding." Kaori settled his amber eyes on his daughter who looks a lot like her mother.

"We're not, daddy. We're actually going to marry."

"Not going to happen." Fugaku shot at her.

"Sit down and shut your pie-hole." Mikoto who just recover from her shock took her husband back on a leash.

"Absolutely not." He protested. "Mikoto, your son is getting married with… -he's getting married! Can you accept that?" Although Fugaku was somebody who was born to be steady and controlled at all times, this was a little too much of what his bucket could carry. His voice rose again as he snapped at his wife.

"Yes, I accept that. And you will too if you know what's good for you." Mikoto hissed through clenched teeth. "Our son is a grown up, smart man who knows exactly what he's doing."

Sasuke smirked at his mother. Now he remembers why he loved his mother more than his father. She always supported him.

Mrs. Uchiha faced her youngest son. "You do know what you're doing, right?" She asked, as if insecure of what she stated before.

Sasuke nodded in confirmation. His mother grew that angelic smile of hers that Sasuke loved. "Then I'm glad for both of you." Her dark eyes moved to Sasuke's fiancée. "You have my blessings."

"Thank you." Karin smiled back.

"Well princess, what can I exactly say?" Kaori gave up, he wasn't about to protest or make a whole scene like Fugaku did. His daughter made the decision, it was her life, so what could he do about it?

"I just hope you're happy." Lana, who was still checking her nails, said to her.

It was like she didn't care what her daughter has just informed her. Like her nails -or rather herself, was more important than her own child.

"I am. Really."

"Then you have my blessings too, princess." On Kaori's face came a ghost of a smile.

"The same of what your father said." Lana stated indifferent.

"Oh, thank you, mom and dad." Karin jumped up and hugged her father, knowing that her mother would do no such thing.

"I should congratulate you, little brother." Itachi smirked, finding this more amusement than ever. "You and my future sister-in-law."

Sasuke found the way Itachi commented a little suspicious, like he was mocking him, but he knew his brother was sincere.

Itachi won't say _anything_ if he didn't meant it.

Karin glowed when Itachi dropped the word 'sister-in-law'. She couldn't believe that she was going to be related to the Uchiha family.

"Hn. Congratulations." Fugaku mumbled.

Mikoto glared at him with a look in her eyes that was clearly saying; 'Give-them-your-blessings-damn-it-or-else…'

"Phff, you two have my blessings." Fugaku added, brooding almost immediately.

Karin shot him a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Uchiha."

"Oh, you can call him Fugaku if you like."

Fugaku whipped his head towards his wife, mentally cursing her for saying that. He could at least enjoy of the respect that she showed him. Even that his wife must crack.

"So…" Itachi began. "Have you two set a date?"

-

-

-

* * *

**- Miami, Tatiana estate - **

"Kiki, why have you called me?" Karin brushed a lock of red hair behind her ear.

"Letting you know that us," He pointed to the space between them. "Isn't over."

"Kiki listen to me, I-"

"No." The tall man walked over to Karin and grabbed her waist. She gasped at the action.

He brought his lips to the side of her face, his hot breath fanning against the shell of her ear.

The warmth was sending pleasurable shivers down her spine, goose bumps reached her skin.

_He _was having this effect on her.

"Kiki… stop." She whimpered.

He placed a kiss on her jaw. "Why? It always felt good, it always felt _perfect_."

She felt his wet tongue lick the hallow of her neck. She tried with all her might not to moan out loud.

"Kiki, I… I didn't come here… to… to do this." She closed her red eyes. He was bringing her to heaven with that wicked tongue of his.

"Why should I stop?" He said between the kisses that he trailed from her neck to her collarbone. "You're clearly enjoying it."

"I... I can't. I won't." She breathed out.

The man smirked against her skin. "You may be able to reject me, love, but your body is still reacting to my touch. It wants me."

She didn't even notice that he backed her against the wall.

"Kiki, I'm engaged." She moaned out.

His hand slipped under her shirt. "So? That has never stopped you before."

"Don't-"

"Shh. Just enjoy," He whispered. "Like always."

-

-

-

* * *

**- That same day, Uzumaki's Mansion -**

"Whoa. What?!" The obnoxious blond was shocked. "You're totally lying to me!" Naruto stood with a accusing finger towards his best friend. His jaw dropped on the floor.

"I'm not." Sasuke's facial expression was bored as hell.

"Yo my homeboy, Sasuke-G-man is gettin' hitched. Nevah though this day would cum." Kiba grinned.

"Man, getting married is so troublesome." Shikamaru sighed as he stared up to the ceiling.

"What do ya _not_ find troublesome?" Kiba asked to his lazy friend.

"Everything."

"Wow teme, I can't believe it. You're actually getting married. And to think that _you_ of all people is getting married first. I mean I can see Shikamaru step into the love-boat before you." Naruto noted.

Sasuke half glared towards the blue-eyed fellow.

But sure enough, Naruto had a point. Nobody would've expected that the cold, emotionless, far-distance, yet womanizer was strangely enough the first one to get married. It wasn't like him, but all the nerves in his body told him that what he did was the right thing.

"For once, I am agreeing with the idiot. It is indeed unlike you, Uchiha." Neji pointed out. Earning a 'Hey!' from Naruto.

Sasuke made a growling sound. "Accept it, because it is so."

There was pause between all the five men until, of course, Naruto broke it.

"How did your father react?"

Sasuke chuckled as he remembered his father's face as they -mostly Karin- broke the news.

"How do you think?"

Naruto began to snicker like a child. He could already see how Fugaku is ready to hang both Sasuke and Karin any time. "He'd freaked out, huh?"

"Hn." The ebony haired man confirmed with a smirk of his own.

"I am happy for you, bastard. As you can have sex now any time you want without breaking a sweat." He smiled, sincerely smiled because he was truly happy for his best friend. Although his smile had a hint of perverseness in it.

"I always got sex without having to break a sweat."

Neji turned to hit him on the back of his head. "Idiot."

"Ouch!"

"Naruto…" Sasuke called him a moment later.

The said blond looked up as he rubbed his sore spot.

"What?"

"You're going to be my best man."

Slowly, a huge grin crept on Naruto's face.

"Of course I do, and you better _believe it!_"

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura was cleaning the wine caller in the Uchiha's mansion. And let her tell you that the wine caller wasn't exactly the smallest of callers.

Cleaning this on her own with her two hands, a bucket with soap water, a sponge and a piece of cloth to dust off all the spider webs of the wine bottles.

It was her chore for today and because Marina just loved to tease them, her specifically, she was sent alone to clean the entire caller.

"_It's good for you."_ Marina had said. _"Someone like you, someone as ugly as you, should be hidden away like every rat. So this chore is perfect, don't you agree? At least there no one will come and we don't have to suffer in your… beauty. Like my dear Sasuke will ever go in there. So stay in the dark, where you belong." _Marina had thrown her the piece of cloth and laughed. Walking away to sent Ino into something awful. It was payback time.

The rising dust tickled the inside of Sakura nose, she sneezed hard, and the red glasses almost slipped off of the bridge of her nose.

Stupid Marina… She cursed in her mind. This was plainly cruel, and although she didn't hate her, as she couldn't hate anyone, she did dislike her very, very much.

Hate was such a strong word to say to somebody. Hate was wrong and in her sense, evil. You can't hate somebody that is a human just like you. Who has and does mistakes, regrets and even if they did some very wrong actions which can lead to make someone hate another, that person did it for a reason. It may not be the best reasons, selfish reasons even, but to hate somebody, really hate somebody like Ino refers that she does with Marina, Sakura couldn't.

It was simply not her nature. She couldn't. No matter how bad someone's character is, just like Marina. Sakura saw the goodness in everybody. Even in Marina, and that pissed Ino off.

"_How can you say that Marina has some good deep down?"_ Ino had asked her once, when Sakura told her. _"She's an evil bitch who feeds off from people's misery. That's why she picks on everyone and everything, except Sasuke." _

Still, Sakura couldn't find it in her heart to hate Marina. She was sure, that deep down, inside that façade of a hardcore woman, lay somebody who plainly needs a hug and attention. Maybe she had a rough youth, that's why she became the way she is now. And it's just wrong to hate that. It's wrong to give her more of a bad time than she already had for the most of her life.

Ino didn't care for all that, when Sakura explained that to her, she said that if that's really the case she would have sit and thought about all her words and actions because she's ruining other people's life too. _"She didn't like what they did to her in the past, then she don't has to do it to other people either." _Ino had a point, Sakura thought, but anyhow, hating Marina was off her list.

She would not ever.

And because she never would, Ino will. Hating double, for Sakura and herself.

Sakura soaked the yellow half-broken sponge into the lukewarm soapy water. There were a lot of bottles that needs to be taken care of, and she knew that this would take more than a day to finish.

She already did the 'normal' wine section and she was now cleaning the 'super-expensive' wine bottles. She did extra careful, not wanting to break one of bottles that cost more than she earned in a month.

She grabbed the first bottle that came into view.

_Chteau Haut Brion Pessac - Lognan,_ Sakura read.

A wine that she had never heard before but sounds like chic. _1982_, kind of old, she thought, must taste better. She turned the bottle around, reading the inscription behind, but stopped at the first sentence. It was completely in French. Looking more down she saw that there were numbers below the etiquette.

_528_. '_As in dollars?!'_ Sakura whistled low.

Damn, why do they even buy such expensive wine? Like they would ever drink it? It will only stand here, catch dust year in and year out.

She quickly swept with the sponge over the bottle, getting rid of the dust and spider webs then neatly returned the bottle back.

She looked up, and at the top shelve were 3 bottles. She grabbed the one at the left. The wine bottle itself had a weird shape, it was smaller than the rest of the bottles but it was also heavier. Holding it with both hands, she read the title of this rather remarkable wine.

_Chtau Le Pin Pomerol,_ a bottle from 1999, which isn't that old like the first. Below stood the words; _Moka_, which means; Mocha and the word; _Black_ _Cherry_. A weird combination to make a wine.

Just as weird as the shape.

Curious to look if there was a price on the bottle just like the first, she turned the bottle 180 degrees to the right.

_908._ Wow.

This was just downright absurd. She cleaned it faster than anything before something wrong happened.

Then she grabbed the completely white-glass made bottle on the right, that stood on some mini-version of a cushion. Apparently, they didn't want anything to happen with this one.

It's shape was long and round, another strange shape to give a wine bottle but this one was beautiful. It was made of the same glass that's used for a window, hence the white-glass. You could see the dark but rich color of the red wine that was filled till the neck of the bottle. Taken it out off the mini-cushion, she stared at the title.

_Dom. Romane Conti. _Short name. From the year 1997, a little older than the last she had in her hand and that's why it was of see-through glass.

There was a signature below of somebody who wrote it down with a black pen, probably the person who made this wine. '_For you.'_ Written in English.

Carefully she turned the bottle the other way around, seriously curious how much this bottle had cost.

_1,540 dollars._ She gaped at the bottle with mouth wide open, not believing that a bottle that had a liquid in it that probably tasted like every other red wine out there -She could never taste the difference- could cost this much.

And the Uchihas had actually bought it. They really had too much money to spend. With half shaken hands she had put the bottle back on its place when the door of the caller opened.

She quietly squeaked, happy that she put the most expensive bottle the Uchihas owned back before somebody catches it in her hands. Quickly she grabbed some random bottle and began dusting it off, just like she did with the first ones. A person with heavy steps came from behind her, walking directly into her direction.

Who it was, she didn't know, as she stood with her back towards the entrance and exit of the caller.

Suddenly, a cold breeze touched her back, it was invisible and nobody particular did it, but it was creepy and she wished she was out of there.

This person, for whoever it was, stopped a little behind her.

It was so quiet in that big, but damp and dark caller, that she could hear the breathing of this person. It was calm and steady, breathing through its nose. The hairs of Sakura's back stood up, but she continued cleaning the bottles like this person wasn't having a effect on her in any way.

She was good in acting, she concluded. Only she herself didn't notice that her own breathing became heavy, purely because she was nervous and didn't had the guts to turn around and see who came in. What she did knew though, was that whoever stepped foot in here just now, wasn't any maid or butler, or else they would've have called her by now. Touched her, anything. And because she knew that this wasn't anyone of the servants of Uchihas household, she became more nervous.

If it wasn't a servant, then it must be somebody of the Uchiha family.

Sakura quietly gulped, feeling her heartbeat rating go a little faster, adrenaline mixing with her blood as she now tried to keep her breathing in check. The person behind her moved, the clothes betraying it's movements, an arm, a long strong arm, reached above her, and grabbed just that ultra-expensive window-glass made bottle with the handwritten inscription '_For you' _on it.

The arm and the bottle retrieved and Sakura followed, going to look for herself who entered.

Her emerald eyes met deep onyx ones, that were set into the beautiful yet dangerous-looking face of Uchiha Sasuke.

"M-Mr. Uchiha." She spurred, completely taken by surprise that Sasuke was _in_ here.

"Hn. Haruno." He replied, his onyx eyes that didn't gave her any attention anymore went back to the bottle in his big hands.

What the hell was he doing here? Nobody has been in the wine caller for… like… years and now he's here exactly at the same time that she's been assigned to clean it.

Great. Just, great.

Not that she was glad that he had remember her name, even if it was her surname, she just didn't want to be in here while she was dirty, and had her huge glasses on.

Although he didn't seem to mind, but then again, he wasn't noticing her anyhow. He was reading the title, she saw, his onyx eyes wandering over the white with gold etiquette of the beautiful wine bottle.

A smirk reached his oh-so kissable lips as he kept staring at the wine.

With a satisfied, "Hn." He walked back to the door, the same one he came in with.

Sakura followed his retrieving back with her eyes, seeing at how straight and proud he walks. And she couldn't help when her gaze fell on his ass that was, by the way, perfect in those jeans.

She shook her head. How the heck was she able to think that? Oh my god!

Sasuke's hand reached the doorknob and turned. Only…

The door didn't open.

"The fuck?" Sasuke muttered when he tried again, with no use, the brown -almost black door stayed closed.

Sakura fully turned to him. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Uchiha?" Sakura asked softly, afraid now because he cursed.

"That damned door won't open." He growled. Calm yet angry.

'_Oh-ooooh…'_ Sakura thought. They were _stuck_ in here? _Together_?

Sasuke tried to turn the doorknob again, but no success at all. It stayed closed.

"Fucking hell." Sasuke started to bonze on the door, hoping that anyone would hear him. "Is anyone there!" He yelled. Unbelievable that nobody heard him.

But he knew, they were in the basement, where nobody ever comes. Karin was out, shopping he suppose, and he didn't tell anybody else that he came in here.

Damn it, they were really stuck in here. And he didn't know for how long. The door was old, and apparently you can easily open it up from outside, but from the inside is another story.

He cursed again, under his breath this time. Not only is he stuck in here, he is also stuck with that maid. Haruno Sakura.

He turned again, with a look that said enough; 'We're really freaking stuck in here.'

Sakura felt like this was her fault, his eyes were like accusing her, for not telling him that this door was stuck. But she didn't knew. So, she lowered her head.

Feeling once again that the dust entered her nose, she sneezed, twice, one right after the other.

She quickly glanced up to Sasuke's face to see his expression and it was rather… disgusted.

"I-I'm sorry sir."

"For what?" He asked monotone, yet he still sounded pissed.

"For not knowing that the door couldn't open from the inside." She said regrettably, heaving her glasses up with one finger.

"Did you knew?"

"No, that's why-"

"Then leave it."

And she left it with that.

An awful, cold and uncomfortable silence came. What is she supposed to say now? She knew for sure that Sasuke would never start a conversation, and definitely not with her. She saw that he still had the wine bottle in his right hand.

"It's better if you put the wine back on it's place sir, at least for now, until we get… saved." Sakura breathed in and out.

Talking to Sasuke was going to be a piece of cake, she told herself.

Well, actually lying to herself. She knew as green as grass was, that if she talked to a brick stone it would be more easier to get a response from it than from Sasuke.

Sasuke turned to the pink haired woman and almost glared to her.

Was she telling him what to do? Like hell he would obey for whatever she had to say, even though it was a friendly warning. But he was already pissed so he will take everything in the wrong way in this state.

"What?" He snarled, fully glaring at the poor pink haired maid. "What did you say?"

"Uuhm, n-nothing s-sir. I-I only me-meant that as pre-precaution." She stuttered, completely frightened by that glare he was sending her way.

"Hn." He calmed back down. Rather forcing himself to, this wasn't the time to put all his anger on her. It was a sweet gesture and he didn't had to act like a total ass.

Sasuke turned with his back against the door and slide down. Sitting on the hard floor. "We'll be in here for a while."

The woman only nodded, and did the same.

-

-

-

* * *

-** One hour later - **

**

* * *

  
**

This hour has been gone in silence. It was awful how Sakura had to sit there in this driving-crazy situation with a much more silencer Sasuke right across of her. He looked at everywhere except her, mostly on the wine he still had in his hand.

This was madness, only an hour and it looked like eternity. How long is it going to take?

"Uuhm, sir? Can I ask you something?"

Sasuke didn't reply but did set his eyes on her, giving her the sign that she could go ahead.

"What was the time exactly when you came in here?" She asked slowly, trying not to get him angry like before.

"Two-fifteen. Means, must be something around Three-thirty."

She nodded. It wasn't so hard, to talk to him, let's see if she could go a little further.

"H-how did Miss Sarina's birthday go?"

Sasuke looked at her as if he wasn't sure if he should answer. He wasn't one that talked to maids much, especially not after that whole fan girl scene of Marina and several before her. But she seemed ok. She hadn't done anything weird, like stealing one of his boxers or his tooth brush or lick the glass he drank of.

"Good." He only said. Sure, she was not him-obsessed, but that didn't mean he had to go socializing with her.

"I expect you gave her… something value to her."

"Hn."

Ok, this was going nowhere.

"I gave her a necklace."

Sakura mentally smiled, he responded in more than one word. By himself! Good boy.

"One that was already yours… or a new onw?" Slowly she grew confident to talk more.

"Mine."

He saw how her face fell when he stayed quiet after that one word. He decided that this would be an once in a lifetime doing by actually having a regular _conversation_ with a maid. After all, who knows how long they will stay stuck in here together.

"Me and Naruto had won one necklace when we were younger at private school. I've forgot of what, probably something stupid if I did it with that dobe, but I had it ever since." He said monotone and rather bored.

Sakura nodded again. She knew, of course, Naruto. Well, only by face. He was that hyperactive, loud, chaotic, talk-a-lot blond that comes so many a times here at Sasuke's mansion. A.k.a, Uchiha Sasuke's best friend.

When Ino told her that this blond, who was very attractive in his own way, was Sasuke's best friend, Sakura wouldn't believe her. They were like total opposite. Night and day, warm and cold. Sasuke was the quiet one while Naruto was the noisy one.

How the hell were they best friends?

It was a whole mystery and Ino calls it one of the seven world wonders. Sakura couldn't agree more.

They had fights all the time, about the most stupid things, yet an hour later, they were inseparable. Naruto was the only one who could get Sasuke to talk more than one sentence and it was, frankly, rather funny to see.

And even though their fights were almost on 24/7, together they were the best of the best. Nobody could say a word against the two. Nobody could do something against the two, and Sakura admired them.

They were friends since diapers and nothing changed from then.

_Friends till the end._

And Naruto had his own fair share of looks. He was almost as tall as Sasuke. Keyword; Almost. As Sasuke was a little over 6'3 foot, Naruto almost was as tall. Probably 6'2 or something.

His body was to die for, just like Sasuke's. Yes, Sakura has seen them when Naruto took a dip into Sasuke's pool on a very hot day and almost fainted when she saw both Sasuke, Naruto and the other amazing-looking friends of his, shirtless.

Ino had drooled all over that day. She even claimed that she had an orgasm standing when she saw them all.

"Miss Sarina had loved it right?"

"More than I could say." And he really couldn't, because Karin thanked him a minute later on the bed.

"I hope I can congratulate you with your engagement, sir."

Sasuke nodded.

"That bo-bot…" She couldn't finish as she sneezed hard again. Her glasses falling of her nose on the ground. "Oh bugger." She cursed looking for her glasses again. As she stood up, to turn that little light on that was dangling somewhere on the ceiling to look better, she felt as if she has kicked something.

Sakura sighed. Knowing very good that she had just kicked her glasses into some direction and it would be very hard to find now. Especially because it was already dark in the caller and her vision wasn't 100 percent clear.

Not knowing which direction to turn, she heard Sasuke fake a cough. "Ahem."

Sakura turned towards him, seeing him standing quite close to her. "Oh, sir?"

He waved her glasses before her face. She blushed like an idiot and took it softly from his hands.

Their fingers connected for a second.

A very _long_ second, Sakura thought. Feeling electricity bolts warming her up, growing very hot right now.

She become a shade redder, like an imbecile and put the glasses back on. Realizing that Sasuke was in fact standing in her personal bubble, she automatically took a step back. "T-thank y-you, sir." She mumbled.

"Hn."

They stood there for a while, Sakura staring at the ground, finding it suddenly very interesting, and Sasuke's gaze rested on the only small window that brought little sunlight, not enough to light the entire caller.

Sakura looked a little up, seeing how the wine bottle was still in his hands. Trying to return the favor she asked; "S-shall I put that safely back on its place, sir. Only to make sure nothing happens to it."

Sasuke raised the bottle as did Sakura's head.

"Hn. You're probably right, I need to save this for our wedding day."

'_Oooh_,_ that's why he came down here and took just that bottle. It's for their wedding day._'

Sakura thought a little sad, but happy most of all.

"Let me." She expanded her hands, ready to take the bottle to put it neatly back on its place on the mini-cushion.

Slowly, Sasuke gave her the bottle.

Just as Sakura got the bottle in her hands, still feeling the warmth of Sasuke on the wine, she felt a sneeze coming again.

"Mr. Uchiha take the bott-" But it was too late. She sneezed and she sneezed hard. Salvia of her flew everywhere onto Sasuke's face, shirt and hands.

The ultra expensive bottle…

Fell out of her hands.

From then on, everything went in slow-motion. The bottle turned 3 times in the air when it connected to the ground with a loud 'Crack'.

This wasn't the same case as the _Spa_ water and the glass. Luckily for her in that time, the glass actually didn't break. It only fell… this time the 1,540 dollars bottle fell…

And _broke._

-

-

-

* * *

**A/N; Whahahahahhaha Evil laugh Whahahahahaha! This is sooo…. **

**You have to fill the blank. I found it a great idea to break the 1,540 dollar wine bottle and I snickered like an idiot when the idea popped up into my head. (P.S The wine bottles are real though but not the shape I've given them) I have to stop it here or else nobody want to read the next part, besides I have given you a lot of pages if you ask me. **

**Yes, me too found the 'They-got-stuck-together' so cliché, but I had to put in something that had a little to do with Sakura and Sasuke. This little part of Sasuke beginning to 'talk' to Sakura is called; bonding. Ra, ra who wouldn't have guessed?**

**Ok, explaining time. **

**First off is Marina. I hope you hate her now more then with the first chapter and when Ino rubbed that engagement part in her face, I hope you felt as good as I did. Yup, me too hate my own OC but that kind of was the point. **

**Secondly is Karin. For in fact, if you didn't notice, she is cheating on Sasuke with this Kiki person. Who he exactly is, will come in later chapters, I hope this upcoming, but you will know who he is. In the story I based this plot on, **_**Acorralada**_**, the dude is also called Kiki. I liked that name, it's funny and rolls of your tongue quite easily so I let him as he is. **

**Karin is screwing around with this Kiki for months now, let's say as long as she was with Sasuke or maybe more. And by the looks of it she still can't resist Kiki, now can she? The slut! **

**Anyway, by all means, I've put Minato in this chapter, you guys must know that he's a hero everywhere and he's like the hottest Hokage who ever was! I love him and by the words of Sarina Kaori, Karin's OC father, I've sent him a R.I.P. Once again I say; I love you, Minato-sama. **

**Oh yeah, before I forgot, did you guys like how I made Kiba? He's my little gangster, the guy of the street. But I will explain that in another chapter. I just love the talk and I should give the honor to Xzibit with his 'X- to the Z-' phrase. Other then that thank you Snoop Dogg, and Fatman Scoop, and all the gangster-movies I've seen. I couldn't have done it without you. **

**And do not forget… Sex is one of the most wonderful things in the world, so why not write about it? Wink, wink**

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_'There's a thin line between coincidence and faith.' - _**That hot Arab guy. ****The Mummy 2**

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_In the Palms of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_To Be Continued.._

_Stay Tuned for Next Time, same Site, same Story._


	3. The Royal Wedding

**A/N; Hello, good morning, good afternoon, or good evening for wherever you are. **

**Yes, it is I, your one and only love, Drama Queen. Nah, just kidding. But I have come with great news for y'all. I have updated a new chapter. **

**For the people who actually **_**like**_** my story and **_**reviews**_**, I would like to hug and kiss them. (Uh, on the cheek) **

**So, where did we left off last time? **

**Oh yeah, Sakura sneezed. I like to say; 'Bless you' to Sakura as the poor girl sneezed and dropped the super expensive wine. **

**This is all way to unfair for her, who's feeling with her?**

**Well… I kind of not, since I am the one who's writing it. LOL.**

**And yeah, I know you guys Hate SasuKarin, I know you guys hate Karin more, but believe me, I'm writing this all for a reason, I shall explain to you soon. And yes, me too hate Karin, she's a bitch and a skank and there's nothing more I like then to see her being finished off by Sakura, or by anyone else for that matter. **_**But bear with me, it won't take long before things… change.**_

**But let us continue, shall we?**

**Disclaimer****; Sigh. If I could own **_**Naruto**_** then I would've pumped up Sasuke's body more, just because he's so hot. And made Sakura and Hinata stronger. They're like wimps! Oh, and I do not own none of the mention brands in this chapter either. **

**I re-did this chapter. I hope it's better to read now.  
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**Piez-out!**

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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'_Ever since I met you, I've been waiting for the snow to fall.' - __**Van Velzen, 'When Summer Ends'**_

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Red wine was spilled everywhere on the ground and Sakura forgot how to breathe.

'_OhmyGod! I've-just-broken-a-bottle-that-cost-more-than-thousand-dollors-and-besides-that-Sasuke-was-going-to-use-it-for-his-wedding-day-AAAAAH!' _Sakura had put her hands on her face, staring at the now worthless broken bottle.

The strong smell of quality wine reached her nose, as she saw how the beautiful white-with-gold etiquette of the bottle, slowly turned red.

'_What have I done?!'_ She thought helplessly. Not moving at all, her eyes set on the ground when she suddenly remembered that there was another person more in that caller.

In the corner of her eye, she could see the motionless body of her master. She thanked herself that she forced herself to keep looking down, as she now couldn't see his face.

And she was glad, because she just could not imagine how his facial expression would be.

But… as safe as she felt for now, she couldn't stay in that position forever. There comes a time that she had to look up.

A moment of complete utter silence went by. A cold eerie feeling crept up her body when she heard Sasuke sigh.

It was a strangled, angry, half controlled sigh.

She swallowed, hard, it was loud and you could clearly hear it in the quiet caller.

'_C'mon Sakura, look up, right in his face. Tell him you're sorry then resign yourself from this job before he harshly fires you._

_- Oh, shit. He's __**so**__ going to fire me!'_

Her gaze went up to her boss. Finding his eyes closed, eyebrows knit together, signing that he was pissed off.

"M-Mr-"

"Don't." He said, with a tone that you just could hear he was trying to control himself from snapping with every nerve in his body.

"B-but, M-Mr. Uchiha, I'm-"

"_I said_, don't. Before…" He trailed off, leaving a scary threat in the air.

Sakura could see that he had turned his knuckles into the color ivory, clenching them to keep his rage in check.

He'd be damned if he would kill a woman for a bottle of wine.

_Not just any wine… Fugaku's wine._

"Fuck!" Sasuke said then turned, walking back to door and sat down.

He closed his eyes, clasping his hands in each other and rested them against his lips.

He took in an amount of oxygen through his nose, calming his nerves.

"Mr. Uchiha, I'm so sor-"

"Quiet." He interrupted her harshly again, not even opening his eyes. "Don't talk to me."

Sakura took that warning to her heart, and then walked back to where she was sitting the whole time, leaving the expensive broken bottle on the ground.

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**- 2 hours later - **

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Sakura had not looked up once, from where she sat on the ground for two hours in total silence. The spilled red wine had almost reached her, and if she stayed like that this entire upcoming hour, it would stain her uniform. The splintered glass on the ground had become blood red, making it seem like they had been fighting in here. It was giving her a creepy feeling and she couldn't wait until she would be out of this damp, dark place.

"This is all is your fucking fault." Sasuke growled low.

The first sound that reached Sakura's ears in two hours was his magnificent, deep, rich, angry yet calmed voice.

She stayed quiet.

"I should fire your ass for this and make sure you'll never get work in America again."

Oh boy. She knew he would, that's what she was afraid of. And the worse thing is, if Sasuke said she would _never_ find work in America then she never would. He was perfectly capable of doing that, since he was a very good businessman in his worldwide corporation and had connections everywhere.

Sakura gulped again.

"But I won't."

'_He won't?'_

She looked up, blinking, finding his gaze totally set on her. His eyes held something that Sakura had never seen before in those onyx orbs -or in anyone else for that matter- and it was freaking her out.

She couldn't place it, maybe it was mischievousness, or deviousness, or anxiousness or obnoxiousness, or whatever.

She plainly didn't know. It was strange and eerie and honestly, she couldn't handle it.

Those orbs were unreadable, yet they were right in front of her. She saw them, but she didn't know the meaning of it.

"No, because that would be unprofessional and low."

Which he's totally not.

"Instead…" He stood up, his long, slim yet very well toned figure rising, emerald orbs following his every move, seeing how he came closer and closer to her with every bypassing second. He casually stepped into the spilled wine and broken glass to come over her, not giving one damn thing about it anymore.

Once before her he beckoned her to stand up.

She, of course, obliged easily enough and rose to her feet. Only then realizing how little their proximity really was. He was too close, as she had to arch her neck to look him in the face.

This time she couldn't back away or else she would hit more expensive bottles.

He didn't even tip his head in the slightest to look at her, only his eyes were lowered.

"Instead…" He repeated, his voice going shivery low. "You are going to repay me." His face came closer to hers, at this time dipping his head forward to come in eyelevel with her.

The woman before him stood there like a statue. She could practically smell his intoxicating cologne. Maybe his brand was Calvin Klein, or Hugo Boss or Diesel, for whatever the hell it was, it smelled _good_.

"Every…" His gaze wondered over her body, like searching something, observe and calculating something. She stopped herself from whimpering.

"Last…" His deep onyx eyes went over her face, reading her like an open book. Decreasing the gap between them a little more.

"Drop." He straightly stared at her lips, who hung a little open to take more air so she can try to control her breathing.

"_Sakura._" He hissed through clenched teeth, changing from attitude in a second.

The pink haired woman knew that her breathing and heartbeat became feverish. _'What the hell was that?'_ She was beyond shock of what her master just did.

She could still feel his warmth radiating off of his gorgeous body.

She could still smell his delicious scent.

She could still see those eyes roaming over her.

She could still hear that low voice of his, almost whispering the words.

She could still… not control herself.

Sakura took a long breath. Whatever he meant with that action, -probably threading her as he hissed out her name like that- it made her feel very hot. And no guy had ever made her feel that way. -Simply because nobody did.-

Sasuke mentally smirked. Oh yeah he still had it in him. He could still make a woman, who isn't in love with him; get an effect only because of himself.

_Or at least he thought she wasn't in love with him._

Slowly, but ever so surely, a blush appeared on her cheeks. Sasuke took 2 steps back, giving the flushed woman some space to breathe. Sakura looked up to her master's eyes as he stared quite impassively back.

'_What's this? Is… is this a moment?'_ She questioned, feeling the atmosphere thicken.

'_Fool.'_ Sasuke thought, knowing exactly what's going through the maid's head.

She stared, without blinking at all, as in trance, which she was. Set in trance by this beautiful man before her with his dark, icy pools.

"_Sasuke…?_" A muffled voice came from the other side of the closed door.

As even the time seemed to go on outside of the caller, inside it seems to have been frozen.

Neither of the two moved or blinked. One was hypnotized while the other was the hypnotizer.

"_Sasuke, baby, are you in here?_" The muffled voice asked as suddenly the door opened, and at the same time Sasuke had blinked.

He half turned towards the door, only to see his fiancée and a blond maid standing there. He recognized the maid. It was that Yamanaka servant. Who was, just like many females, attracted to him.

"Sasuke!" Karin grinned when she ran up to her husband-to-be, right into his awaiting arms. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Hn." Sasuke… answered, kissing the top of her head.

Ino made the gesture for Sakura to come, who was snapped back into reality the moment Karin had yelled. The emerald eyed, with the red thick glasses and long braid, bypassed the hugging couple.

Sasuke, who was at least a whole head longer than Karin, followed Sakura with his eyes. The maid with the pink hair slightly turned back to see her master gazing at her. 'I'm so sorry.' She mouthed then left them with the platinum blond at her side.

Sasuke had set his gaze upon Sakura, even though his fiancée was right there in his arms, and saw how the woman walked away with a bowed head. The last thing he saw of her was the braid of pink her that gently followed her behind her back.

"Oh baby, you must feel horrible, being in here for hours with that maid. Ugh, I'm sure you want a shower." Karin looked up to her fiancé, cupping his face with her right hand.

"Hn. There were no problems." Sasuke glanced at the floor, noticing that they were standing in the middle of the wine puddle. "She was only…" A halted a moment, thinking to state the right word for her.

"Annoying."

"I bet. Let's go honey." She took Sasuke's hands in hers. "Ew, all that time that she was in here she couldn't clean up this mess?" Karin pointed to the ground now. Also she saw the puddle now. "It was that same wrench who spilled that water over my irreplaceable shoes. If I were you, I would totally fire her."

"No." Sasuke responded smoothly, a dark smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "She _will_ repay me."

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"Oh. My. God. You were stuck with Uchiha Sasuke in the wine caller for three hours?" Ino jumped up, as they walked into the maid's room.

"Yeah, and I broke an 1,540 dollar bottle which, by the way, he wanted to use for his wedding." Sakura cleaned her glasses.

"No way! Did you talk to him?" Ino wanted to know everything.

"Yes, until I broke that bottle. Then we haven't spoken to each other for two hours."

"Oh. My. God. You have like, gotten stuck with Uchiha Sasuke, spoken to him, broke his wine bottle that cost more than a thousand dollars and besides that, he has actually talked back at you! All that happened because you simply got stuck with him there!"

"WHAAAT?" Marina screamed. "_You_ got stuck with _my_ Sasuke in the wine caller? Impossible. And no fair, he doesn't deserve to get stuck with someone as ugly as you!"

Ino turned towards her, and placed her hands on her hips with a smug look on her face. "Better 'supposed' ugly than getting stuck with a whore-ass, bitch, motherfucker like you." She defended for Sakura, knowing all to well that the pink haired will just sit there and say nothing.

"Humph, mark my words as I say that one day you both will pay." Marina shot a glare to Ino and to Sakura.

"You, for talking with that tongue of yours…" She deepened her glare at the platinum blond. "And you, for continuing doing shit with my Sasuke. You stay away from him. And that's an order." She menaced the pink haired.

"Psh, go boss your mother around, not her." Ino glared fully at the black haired woman now.

Marina only smirked. "Whatever, pig." She turned and left the two.

A short silence fell in the maids' room.

"I really don't like it when you two fight like that." Sakura whispered.

Ino whipped around on her heel, her intense glare still on her face.

"Well I'm sorry for defending both out asses, but I will not, and I repeat; will _not_ let Marina say any shit about me. Really Sakura, you have to toughen up. That goody-toe shoes that you are annoys the heck out of me." Ino said without blinking then left Sakura all by herself. Too angry to be in anyone's presence right now.

Sakura knew Ino was right. But… she couldn't just go and yell to everybody who gets to her, then she wouldn't be better then Marina herself.

She sighed. Even if she says nothing, -thinking it was for the better good,- it wouldn't become better anyway.

This really is troublesome.

"I promise Ino, that one day, I will toughen up." She whispered. Getting ready to do more chores.

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**-1 month later, Uchiha mansion-**

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Karin turned on her left side, moaning when the sunlight came through ceiling high windows on her sleepy eyes. She looked around, narrowing her eyes almost immediately as she saw that she wasn't in her room.

In fact, she wasn't in her house.

She turned again, on her left side, seeing a perfectly muscled upper body. A smile graced her lips, remembering that she spend the night here, in Sasuke's bed. For the millionth time.

She looked up, his head falling to the left side, his long ebony bangs falling in that same direction, covering his eyes and half his face. He was still asleep, she noted. Karin took a close look at him. The navy blue colored sheets only came to his hips, leaving the upper half bare to everyone's eyes. His left hand was at his side, on the bed, while his right hand was on his stomach, rising with every slow breath he took.

She snuggled a little closer to him, kissing his chest. She was determent now to wake him up, despite the fact that he didn't even like being woken up by anybody.

His skin smelled clean, like soap, even though they were kind of busy last night, -like they are every time she stayed,- and she hardly doubts that he didn't sweat the whole time, yet he still smelled clean like he just stepped out of the shower.

It was amazingly true, he smelled delicious no matter what he did.

His body was hard, result of long time in the gym, even though he was a hard working businessman and barely had time left.

She kept kissing his chest, loving the way it moved with his breathing until she felt him stir. His breathing changed, it wasn't as slow as it was a minute ago. His head moved, his bang fell back on its place and his eyes blinked open. Only to narrow like hers when sunlight hit them. He groaned softly while Karin was still kissing his chest all over.

"Morning…" Karin whispered with a smile, when she looked up to his stoic eyes. No matter how long they were together, his eyes were always hard like that in the morning.

He didn't say anything and only stared. He wasn't the morning-person so talking was out of the question right now.

Karin knew this, and was already used to it so she smiled, gave his lips a chaste kiss then turned back on her left side.

Acting 'supposedly' angry.

She could practically count the seconds until she felt his hand go around her waist, his body moving closer to hers, his hard chest came in contact with her back as she felt him kiss the backside of her neck.

"Hn." Was the only thing he… mumbled, turning her slowly in her arms to kiss her jaw to her lips.

She kissed back, and after a while she pulled away from him. He didn't like losing the contact so he trailed butterfly kisses to her collarbone.

"Hmm, Sasuke…" She moaned, loving the feeling of his tongue against her skin. "Do you have to go to work today?"

"Yes." He answered between the kisses.

"Aw, why? Can't you stay home? With me?" She pouted, and Sasuke raised his head to look in her crimson eyes.

"Can't."

"Why not?" Putting on a sad face, she did.

"Because today I have an important meeting."

"An important meeting? Can't you just cancel it? You are the owner of that freaking company."

"True. But I'm meeting someone who can have a very important role in our business and can help the company grow in his local land."

"Psh, who is that person anyway?"

"Some Tatiana Kiki."

Karin froze, her eyes going wide. "T-Tatiana K-Kiki?"

"Yeah, he's the owner of some insignificant company down at Japan. But with his help he can make sure that Uchiha corp. will succeed more there, and in the meantime we make sure that his own company can grow here as well." He told her monotone.

"W-with Tatiana Kiki?" Karin stammered.

Sasuke frowned. It was unlike Karin to stammer at anything. What was her problem?

"Do you know him?"

"Uuhm, yeah. He came at my father's company once, asking for a job or connections or something. Nothing really important, only that my father's security kicked him out of the building." She half lied. Smiling reassuringly, letting the subject drop.

Sasuke only nodded and climbed out of the bed.

The air-conditioning was at its highest level, because they weren't the persons who would sleep in Miami's stifling, hot atmosphere. Cold air touched his butt-naked skin as he made his way towards the private bathroom.

Karin followed him with her puppy like eyes till he closed the door.

Then she freaked.

'_The hell? Sasuke's going to do business with Kiki? Why Kiki of all people? Oh my god! I hope this would be one of those connections that they hardly see each other. Aah! Who am I kidding? Kiki lives in Miami just as Sasuke and they will see each other all the time. Fuck this, I've already, kind of, ended things with Kiki, so… no problem. Right? Oh hell no, I'm lying to myself, Kiki and I… we're… we are… oh god.'_

She would have to find a way to get out of this mess. She had always bribed her way out of everything, but, Kiki is already rich so she thinks that this is a case that money can not save her from anything.

She gulped and breathed in. This is going to be…

A disaster.

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Karin watched nervously how Sasuke made himself ready to go to that meeting.

He was formally dressed, like he always was when he went to the company's building. A custom made Versace suit, the colors dark blue and a blood red tie.

He looked controlled and neat. Organized and steady. His aura was dark and sending to everybody that he had the authority at the same time. He was the upper male.

Exactly how his father wants him to be.

Sasuke already had his 'office expression' on, as Naruto would put it. His features were much more colder, more stoic and impassive than usual. His gaze unreadable, the only think you can make out in them was darkness. A bottomless pit of darkness.

He rearranged his tie once again when he turned to Karin who still sat on the bed, watching Sasuke the whole time.

"I'll be back later this afternoon." His voice strict serious and professional. -His 'office voice' Naruto remarked- "Anything you need?"

Karin shook her head no. Afraid that if she said one more thing she would stammer again, showing him then how nervous she really was.

"Hn."

She blew him a kiss before he left the bedroom.

As soon as the door 'clicked' behind Sasuke, Karin jumped off the bed towards her pursue.

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**- Miami, Tatiana Estate - **

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Kiki smirked when he saw his reflection in the mirror. His eyes, -the unusual color of amber around the pupil surrounded by forest green- were filled with smugness and pride. He stood straight in a black with white Armani suit**. **

'_Damn, I'm good-looking.'_ His smirk grew.

Yup, he was ready to meet _the_ Uchiha Sasuke.

"Ready to go sir." The butler, who just finished fixing his suit, said to him.

"Thank you, Mark." Kiki stated, walking out of his giant bedroom with his black leather briefcase in his hand. He strode to the back of his mansion, into his garage until…

_Bzzz, Bzzz, Bzzz, Bzzz_

His mobile phone went.

Digging into his pocket, he got his Blackberry Thunder and smirked when he saw the caller ID.

"_My angel…_" He whispered. "Hello?"

"_Hello my ass! Why didn't you tell me that you have a meeting with Sasuke today?!_"

He knew that she called him for that.

"Calm down love, you don't have to be so harsh." He smiled evilly, he was so teasing her.

"_Go to hell! You knew this, for months! Getting an appointment with somebody like Sasuke isn't easy, and you didn't even inform me about it._"

Kiki walked over to his black BMW Convertible, threw his briefcase in the passenger seat and checked his mirror. "Tell me love, why did I have to inform you of our meeting? If I remember correctly, you were the one who broke everything off and stated that you didn't want to have anything else to do with me."

He started the car, the engine roared to life with a smooth sound.

"_You know damn well that that didn't happen. And now you're going to-_"

"Relax, my love, your secrets are safe with me. So don't worry."

"_But what if you say something and Sasuke finds out that we had a relationship together behind his back? I can't stand the thought-_"

"Didn't I tell you not to worry? I won't say anything, love, so stop thinking about the meeting of Sasuke and I but rather think about your wedding." Kiki drove in the hot burning sun of Miami. The wind blew through his light brown colored hair, making it seem gold in the sun.

His voice maybe had sound sweet but his face was twisted into an angry scowl.

"_There won't be a wedding if you reveal anything._"

"I can assure you, Karin, that there will be a wedding." His eyes glinted mischievous when he saw the skyscraper with a super-size red and white paper crest on it.

"_I hope so._" Karin hissed then hung up the phone.

Kiki's beautiful eyes glared. Truth to be told he was beginning to love the red haired Sarina, and he was losing her to that son of a bitch he was going to meet. The same son of a bitch he needs to let his own company grow in America and the same son of a bitch he needs to help promote that company more in Japan.

He sighed when he parked his car in front of the entrance. With his leather briefcase he casually walked into the building.

The grand hall was entirely made of gold and marble. Up at the very high ceiling hung such a huge diamond chandelier, one so big that Kiki had never seen such like that before.

Proof to anyone who set foot in this building that this company was indeed successful and wealthy.

Kiki wasn't impressed. Sure, it was beautiful and chic and all, but he was kind of used to it as he seen things like that many times. He walked straight to the golden elevators, ignoring the receptionist and went right up to the 23rd floor.

The doors 'tinged' then opened.

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"Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled hyperactively when he saw his best friend step into the office.

"Dobe, what are you doing here?" Sasuke hated it when Naruto was in _his _office.

Especially when the blond idiot was sitting in his big leather office chair with his feet on his imported Colombian oak wooded desk.

The Uzumaki flashed a whole set of teeth as he lay back with his hands behind his back. Two different colored socks became visible when the pipes of his pants ride up. An orange and black tie loose around his neck.

He looked like a mess, but then again, when did he not?

Sasuke gently put his briefcase next to his flat computer screen.

"Waiting for you teme, what else do you think?"

Sasuke's stoic face started to frown. "Is it necessary that you wait in _my_ office?" He almost glared when he saw Naruto shrug indifferently.

"Of course teme. Your office is way cooler and bigger than mine."

It was always like this. Frankly, Naruto's office couldn't even be called small. No, it was bigger than any other's office in this whole building except for Sasuke's. But Naruto just couldn't stand that Sasuke had way better and bigger things than him. Just because Sasuke has a 52 inch flat screen TV at the opposite wall, a playstation 3, a Wii Nintendo, a sofa, soft dark carpet and -because of his office entirely made of glass,- an amazing view on Miami, he wants that exactly too or even bigger.

Sasuke chuckled when Naruto demanded a bigger office. He may be the company's president but he wasn't the freaking owner.

"You have your own to wait in for." Sasuke snarled at him.

He shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, down to business." Naruto's goofy grin disappeared from his face to be replaced by a serious one.

To be honest, it didn't really suit him. But Sasuke just dealt with it. If it meant that Naruto is going to take things seriously then so be it.

"Who is he, and what are we dealing with?" His feet got off Sasuke's expensive desk as he leaned up.

On Sasuke's lips came a ghost of a smirk. "Tatiana Kiki." He responded. "I've never met the man but he's going to promote the company in Japan."

"Hmm, he's a biggie, huh? That's why you're here today to meet him personally. So we're kissing the dude's ass, no?"

It was still strange for Naruto to make such a comment but keep his face strict serious.

"Not if he wants us to let his own company grow here in America." Sasuke replied monotone.

"Oh, it's like that? He scratches our back while we scratch his."

"Something akin to that area."

"Did you dig up some information about this Tatiana Kiki?" Naruto asked. _'Strange name.'_

Sasuke nodded then opened his black briefcase. Grabbing a thick map of files, he opened it and his onyx eyes scanned the paper.

"His entire name is Tatiana Kohaku Kiyoshi, born in Tokyo, Japan. Twenty-six years old and took over his father's company eventually. The father, Tatiana Midori was born and raised in Oslo, Norway, started a company there but failed." The Uchiha threw a picture towards Naruto of a rather middle-aged man, on the desk before him.

Kiyoshi's father, he presumed.

The man had brown blond-ish hair and forest deep green eyes, he seemed tall and wrinkles were beginning to become visible but he looked healthy and strong nonetheless.

"He married a woman in Japan, Katsumi Hana, Kiki's mother, who was born in Australia and moved to Tokyo to study medicine." Sasuke threw the next picture to the blond.

It was a woman of almost the same age as the man who still looked incredibly beautiful. Blond hair that reached her shoulders with tea colored eyes. You could say they had the color of honey or amber. And they were brightening with such life and joy, that Naruto couldn't help but smile, cracking his serious façade.

Sasuke proceeded. "The father continued starting a company in Japan and succeeded. And even before he married Hana, they were already a million-dollar company. When Kiki turned 20, he took over his father's place and tried to succeed overseas as well. He's been trying for years now but nothing has come out of it. He even went to the Sarinas."

"But since he noticed that Uchiha corp. wasn't as wonderful as it is like in other world parts, he came with a proposal." Naruto included, finished the story for him.

Sasuke nodded, he liked it when Naruto understood everything in one time.

"So we still have the upper hand…" Naruto broke down into a grin. "If we don't like this proposal, we don't have to do no such thing."

Sasuke gave a short nod with his head again.

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Tatiana Kiki walked out of the golden elevator.

This floor was quiet and there stood only two different desks with two different doors behind them. He strode to the first one that was the only occupied by a secretary. The other one was empty.

He stopped before her desk for merely a second, until he saw the Uchiha symbol on the black door behind her.

The woman with short black hair that was cut in a nice bob-line, looked up. Immediately a smile showed up her plum, glossed lips when she saw the handsome man before her with the beautiful mesmerizing eyes.

"Yes, may I help you?" She asked sweetly, flirting with the man.

Kiki inwardly rolled his eyes. "Uchiha Sasuke." He didn't ask, rather demanded with his deep, smooth voice.

The woman visibly shuddered by his voice then replied; "He's busy, but if you like-"

Kiki didn't hear the woman out when he walked straight towards the door, he only needed to know if Sasuke was in his office yes or no.

He opened it without knocking, like he was opening his own bedroom door.

"Hey! You can't do that!" He heard the insignificant secretary say behind him.

The first person he saw was a man with ocean blue eyes, blond hair as light as the sun, a playful smile on his strangely whiskered face, sit behind the desk. Before the desk, though, stood a tall man with ebony hair, emotionless onyx eyes and face so stoic that it was even shocking Kiki. He had never seen someone look so impassive and stoic like this man ever in his life.

He mentally smirked.

He had heard of those cold, unreadable, emotionless eyes. They belonged only to one family in this world.

"Uchiha." He almost smirked. "Sasuke." That had earned him a full glare of the said man.

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* * *

"Ghehe, how do you always get information of these people? You can't exactly Google them." Naruto stared at the two pictures of Kiki's parents.

"Hn. I have my ways." Sasuke said one toned and rather bored. "Give me those papers before Tatiana finds these."

Naruto put the pictures back into the file and handed Sasuke them who put them back in his briefcase.

"Psh, don't worry." The Uzumaki turned to the clock. "Tatiana won't be here for another 30 minutes, tops." He smiled leaning back in the office chair when suddenly -as on cue- the door opened.

A tall man, probably as tall as Sasuke, with strange eyes, light brown colored hair, in a black suit, -that they could easily recognize as a Armani suit- walked in. They heard Sasuke's secretary yell something behind the intruder, he gave them a once over and not even a minute later he spoke.

"Uchiha" The man paused a second. "Sasuke."

The ebony haired said male shot the other man a deep glare and knew exactly who he was from the moment he saw those eyes.

"Tatiana Kiyoshi." Sasuke hissed. Really, the nerve of that man. That he had the guts to just walk in _Sasuke's_ office just like that.

The Tatiana person stood there, gazing impassively at the two. Not as impassive as the Uchihas were capable off, but he was trying.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Uchiha, Mr. Uzumaki, he just came in without-"

"It's ok, Cindy." Naruto said softly, shooing her away before Sasuke-

"Leave." The ebony man commanded cold. Harshly, not even looking her in the eye.

It was too late for Naruto, he wanted to get the secretary away before Sasuke snarled something nasty to her, and apparently, he already did. Cindy looked shocked for a moment, eyes wide as dinner plates but nodded afterwards and left the three men in silence.

Kiki was the first person who spoke after the door was closed and there had fallen a pregnant silence.

"Yes, I am Tatiana Kiyoshi." He said rather cocky. "But please, call me Kiki." A smug smirk on his face.

He had set three steps, and he was before the desk where Naruto was still sitting at, and where Sasuke was standing.

"I don't think we're introduced." Kiki said to Naruto. "Tatiana Kiki."

He didn't expand a hand, knowing fully well that neither this blond man or Sasuke will take it. If he did he would look like a fool.

Naruto gave a short nod, but didn't respond.

In reality he didn't like giving his name. People, mostly businessmen, will always respond dramatically at it.

He saw how Kiki waited for a name, any name, so her only said; "Naruto."

The tall unfamiliar man stayed quiet and arched a brow after a minute. Kiki looked Naruto good up-close. He had the whole 'I'm-a-mess-and-chaotic' written all over him. He was actually glad that he didn't expand his hand. God only knows where that man's hand has been.

"Only Naruto?" He asked.

The said man gave a silent sigh, rising to his feet. He was almost as tall as Sasuke and this Kiki person, if only for a couple of centimeters shorter.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Right now the blond followed in his head step by step how his reaction will be.

First, he will think about the name, knowing sure he had heard his surname before.

Secondly, he remembers where the name comes from.

Third, he will gave Naruto, again, a once over, included that he was indeed _the_ Uzumaki.

Fourth, his eyes will go wide when he honestly remembers who Naruto is. This, in this case, thankfully, didn't happen.

And fifth, he will ask and confirm.

'_Uzumaki Naruto? Son of the Namikaze Minato? He died a hero, etc. etc.'_ Naruto already knew what he will say.

"Uzumaki Naruto, huh? Son of _the_ Namikaze Minato. An honor. It must be an as much as a curse as a blessing to be Minato's son." Kiki's face was serious he had much respect for Namikaze Minato, like everybody else in this world who knew who he was.

Sasuke followed in silence how Naruto did the same routine every time someone recognized his name and who his father was.

"He died as a true hero. And you look so much like him." Tatiana smirked sincerely, probably the first time since he woken up this morning.

Naruto nodded. "Yes, but let's talk about something else than this depressing subject." The blond walked over to his briefcase, an orange one with black flames on it. -Kiba made it, he watched to many '_Pimp my Ride'_ episodes- And grabbed a pen and some papers.

"Let's make some good business."

-

-

-

* * *

**- 2.5 hours later, Miami, Uchiha corp. Head Building -**

**

* * *

  
**

"Then it's settled." Naruto finished with a one sided smile. "The contracts will be faxed to you little over a week."

Kiki smirked back. "Good." His green mixed with amber eyes went over to the Uchiha who sat beside Naruto.

Sasuke had been quiet most of the time. Spoke only when Naruto spoke directly to him and glared with venom at Kiki when he said something he wasn't content with.

Not that he would ever admit, but Kiki felt kind of uncomfortable with those glares. Sasuke did put up to his reputation. But he won't let himself get scared because of it. Hell no.

Naruto could feel the tension that hung in the big office like thunderclouds above a city, and didn't had to ask Sasuke to know that he absolutely did not like this man at all.

Although, he couldn't quite catch the reason why Sasuke didn't like him. Except for the wrong entrance, he was a smart man; he knew how to deal and make good business. So far, the reaction of what he saw from Sasuke was that glare he was shooting Tatiana's way almost every time he said something.

Uzumaki was the only one who could read Sasuke the best out of everyone. He and Mikoto.

"I heard you're engaged with Sarina Kaori's daughter. That one with the red hair." Kiki said, smirking towards the Uchiha.

Sasuke said nothing and stared at the notes before him.

"I hope my congratulations would be appreciated."

Sasuke mentally sighed. Mumbling under his breath; "News travels fast." Even though they were engaged for months now.

"Beautiful woman, you're lucky, Uchiha." Sasuke was getting on Kiki's nerves. If he hated anything, it was being ignored.

He was never ignored, rich people hardly are. And because of that, he didn't like this in the slightest.

So he kept his growl and glare inwardly and added calmly; "Too bad half Miami has had her."

Sasuke whipped his head with the speed of lightning towards Kiki. His bangs gave him a whiplash as his blood boiled so fast that he didn't even feel it. Onyx eyes sending death glares till no end.

"What?" He hissed through a very clenched jaw.

Naruto backed away slowly. Lesson to be taken alive if you know what's good for you; stay away from an angry Uchiha. Definitely if his name begins with Sasuke.

'_Uh-oh.'_

"Oh, didn't you know? I heard she sleeps… oh, I beg your pardon, _slept_ around with many men. I guess that stopped now since she's engaged to you."

It would have been wise if Kiki had kept his lips together, but he couldn't since this was his revenge for being ignored. The words came out of his pretty mouth before he could stop himself.

Anyway, anyhow, he smirked like a devil when he saw the face of Uchiha Sasuke turn like that. If looks could have killed then he would be a pile of ashes right now blowing away with the wind.

"Take." Sasuke rose to his feet, over towering Kiki's still sitting form. "That. Back." He said slowly, a menace in his voice.

Kiki thought about it to stay silent till the very end, but there were still contracts that need to be signed by him and the Uzumaki. After that he would be safe.

"Forgive me, Uchiha, I'm just stating what have reached my ears. I haven't even met the woman before." He silently cursed the ebony haired man, how he wanted to rub it in his face that Karin was fucking him behind his back. Apparently Uchiha wasn't good enough. Apparently he didn't perform as well as he did. The thought almost made him grin.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but he decided that this was sufficient. For now. Kiki still needs to promote the company in Japan, and although he could easily find someone else to do the job, there was nobody that would've gone into the deal without claiming a huge amount of money.

So he made an inwardly sneer, like a warning lion, turned on his heel and left without sparing Kiki or Naruto another glance.

"Wow, he's really pissed off." Kiki noted, cheering inside because he succeeded in angering the man. Serves him right.

"Yeah, Sasuke is always protective and kind of possessive about his property." Naruto rose to follow Sasuke. "I assume you can let yourself out, and, I suggest, to not ever talk about Sasuke's family or friends in that way ever again. He might do something _worse_ than _killing_ you." With that, the blond Uzumaki left.

Tatiana smiled mischievously. "If only you knew." He chuckled. "If only you knew."

-

-

-

* * *

- **Twelve days later, Tatiana estate - **

**

* * *

  
**

"A fax has come Mr. Tatiana, should I put it on your desk?" Mark, Kiki's butler asked the reading Tatiana.

He nodded in response without looking up, turning a page.

Mark bowed and left the study room where Kiki sat. As soon as the butler was gone, Kiki had dropped the book and scanned the papers.

Nothing in the contract seemed like a trap or in that neighborhood, so his left hand went to a silver Parker pen, and with a tight neat handwriting, he had put his signature below.

'_Now you're stuck with me for three years Uchiha.'_

-

-

-

* * *

**- Six months later, Uchiha Mansion -**

**

* * *

  
**

"Next week is Sasuke and Karin's wedding. Oh God, why aren't we invited?" Ino's face fell when she thought again about the party and all.

"Because one, there are already a lot of people coming and the catering is expensive, two, did you ever see poor servers as guest at a party full with aristocrats? Didn't think so." Sakura responded casually.

She was tired of crying for somebody that never will be hers. And after months, she accepted that fact.

She and Ino were cleaning the room that connected the Main Hall with the entrance of the Grand Garden, which was the size of a huge ballroom, where next week the party will be take place.

"Still, it would be nice to get an invitation." Ino didn't like it at all.

"They won't give you one because they know you'll accept it and show up in your cheap dress at their über-expensive party."

"Psh, whatever. Who wants to be a party without a special 1,540 dollar wine anyway?" Ino smiled, teasing her. "By the way, did Sasuke say anything to you after that wine incident?"

"Yes." Sakura answered, keeping her face emotionless.

Ino gasped and turned towards her pink haired friend. "Really? Tell me, what did he say?" She was practically jumping up and down from excitement.

Sakura pushed her thick glasses upward her nose with one finger.

"Yeah, it was one day, months ago, and his best friend came, that blond one. Na-"

"Naruto!" Ino interrupted.

"Uuhm, yes. And the other came along too. The one with the red tattoos below his-"

"Kiba!"

"…" Sakura sweat dropped. "Right. Well, I happened to pass by when they were playing-"

"Playstation 3. Grand Theft Auto; San Andreas. Naruto and Kiba's favorite game."

"Ok, who's telling the story? You or me? If you know everything that well, then tell me what happened next?" Sakura placed her hands on her hips, the corner of her mouth going downwards into a scowl.

"Sorry, sorry. Please, proceed." Ino bowed before her like Sakura was a queen.

Emerald orbs rolled.

"Anyway, they were playing just that what you just happily mentioned. Except Sasuke, I heard him comment something rude once or a while. So I walked by and felt his eyes on me. I didn't want to turn, I was unable to look him in the eye just yet. So I gulped. '_Haruno…_' He said with that amazingly deep, velvety voice of his. I looked up, blinked two times, completely taken aback that he even knew my name after that horrible day. Naruto and Kiba didn't even notice, as they were fighting for the controller." Ino was like hanging onto her lips to hear what would happen next.

"'_Yes?_' I answered, getting all my courage together to find my voice without stammering. He stared at me for a minute what seemed like an eternity. The time froze and I felt like I was being watched by a hawk, like it's looking at its prey. It felt great and creepy at the same time. His gaze was cold and emotionless like a statue." Sakura stayed quiet, looking at Ino's tense face.

"'_Bring me tomato juice._' He only said and looked away."

Silence.

"…"

"…"

"What?!" Ino shrieked. "That's it?! 'Haruno… bring me tomato juice'?" Ino made her voice heavy, trying to sound manly.

Sakura nodded once. "Nothing more since."

"Aw man, that was completely waste of my time, breath and excitement." Ino whined, continued to clean the floor.

"Haha, good for you. Besides, you asked for it." Meanwhile a couple of words still played in her head.

'_You're going to repay me…'_

-

-

-

* * *

Karin sat in the bathroom, alone, on the edge of the bathtub. Thinking.

'_I've got one hell of a problem.'_

The last six months wasn't much different as it was before she and Sasuke were engaged.

She kept going to Kiki. She couldn't help it, Kiki was an addiction. Like the fruit of the forbidden tree, like a smoker who wants to quit but sits in a smoky room, like… chocolate.

He was too good to put an end to it. And in those months, -now at least a year and a half that she had known Kiki,- she had grow to love him. But in the other hand, she loved Sasuke too and didn't want to lose him.

'_You can't ride two horses Karin!'_

And because of that, what she did all those months, she has gotten herself in a really big problem.

A problem for two months now.

She stared at the object in her hand.

This was all Kiki's fault.

'_Just as my own.'_

-

-

-

* * *

- **Five days later, Uchiha Mansion - **

**

* * *

  
**

"You invited everyone, right?" Mikoto looked over the list with people.

The list was filled 300 guests and that was of the side of the groom only. There must be a couple of hundred people more from Karin's part.

"Yes." Sasuke replied dully, not really paying attention to his mother as he was looking at some papers himself.

"The caterer, the flowers, the photographer and everything else is arranged?"

"Hn."

"Sasuke, don't 'Hn' me. I hate it bad enough when your father does it. Really, it's rude."

"Yes." He forgot that he couldn't use his favorite 'word' with his mother.

"Then tomorrow will go smoothly. There's a willing groom." She pinched Sasuke's cheek like he was a cute five years old. "And there's no woman in the world that would not want to marry Uchiha Sasuke." She smiled teasingly as she saw in son's face how he rather wanted to slab her hand away.

"Itachi should've married first, but I guess he didn't find the right woman just yet. I hope he will settle before he turns into an cripple old man." She laughed shortly at herself.

Sasuke looked how she lit up the whole room when she laughed.

"Thank God there's a son of mine that is going to give me some grandchildren." She sighed heavily. "So, honey, nervous for tomorrow?" Mikoto asked with a knowing smile on her beautiful flawless face.

He shook his head no and looks at the papers again.

"Good, because everything will go fine."

-

-

-

* * *

**- Miami, Tatiana Estate - **

**

* * *

  
**

Amber mixed with deep green eyes looked surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"W-we need to talk."

"Come." He beckoned her to sit. "Tomorrow is your wedding day love, why exactly are you here?"

Karin stared at Kiki's floor. "I want you to know something."

Kiki nodded once, sitting down himself to stay in eyelevel and gently and carefully wrapped his arms around her waist, as if testing the waters.

"You can tell me everything." He said low.

"I want you to know that for whatever happened in these months… I've falling in love with you."

Kiki smiled, a mesmerizing smile.

"And I love you. Do you know that?" For months he wanted get those words out of his mouth.

"But… I love Sasuke too."

Kiki froze, not exactly wanting to hear those words. His arms loosen the grip around her waist but didn't move from place.

"And I want him, but you too, so badly." She whispered, talking like this all was a secret.

Kiki decided to stay quiet, listening carefully to every word she said.

"And besides all that… I'm…" She paused a moment.

"I'm… pregnant."

'_What?'_

Kiki's eyes had gone wide.

Pregnant?

Did she actually say pregnant?

As in P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T? With a baby?

His words came slowly and deadly quiet. He stared into Karin's glistening, tear-filled, crimson eyes. "Wait… what?"

"Pregnant, Kiki." She breathed out.

"O-of.. Sasuke?" He never, ever, stuttered.

A feeling of pure hatred went through him. Did she came all the way here to tell him that she was pregnant with Sasuke's child?

"Sasuke didn't want a child who wasn't legal. We used condoms so far, only, I never did that-"

"With me." Kiki said low. Very low.

"The child… is yours."

The Tatiana stayed quiet, letting the shock sink in. He looked at the engaged Sarina before him without blinking once.

An awful thick silence fell that neither Karin or Kiki could handle. But Kiki had no words to say. Not even one.

"Please, say something. Anything." She whispered, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"My child." He only said. He couldn't believe it, the woman he loves is with child of him and confessed it one day before she's going to marry that son of a bitch.

"W-what now?" She asked, lips trembling, still whispering, arching her neck to look Kiki in the eye.

A smirk grew on his lips, beautiful colored eyes blinked and he inhaled.

"Don't worry."

-

-

-

* * *

**- Miami, Saint Mary Cathedral, **_**The Royal Wedding**_** -**

**

* * *

  
**

The church was starting to fill with guests as people from far and wide came to the Uchiha and Sarina's wedding.

They were expecting at least 500 guests and the church isn't even filled with half of them.

Sasuke stood at the entrance of the church, greeting people that came from miles away and hadn't seen in years.

He got handshakes, congratulations and occasionally, even hugs.

He did not like it. This was one of those disadvantages of getting married with lots of guest; he had to have human contact, which, if nobody noticed, he didn't like at all.

So he kept his face emotionless and stoic like always, just as everybody was used of him.

"Sasuke!"

The said man turned towards the one who called him and immediately a smirk appeared.

"Kakashi." He stated when he saw the masked man come his way.

"Yo." His one visible eye cringed when he gave one of his hidden masked smiles.

Sasuke raised his left arm, stared at his watch, then looked back at his old teacher.

"How come your not late, Kakashi?"

The silver haired man smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "How many times do you see one of your closest student get married?"

Sasuke raised one of his perfect eyebrows, not believing the man at all.

"Uuh, let's just say that the pad of life has lead me here."

He probably meant that somebody dragged his ass here.

"Oi, Kaka-sensei!" Naruto yelled when he saw his old teacher talk to Sasuke.

Kakashi sweat dropped as almost the half-filled church turned to the loud yell.

"Ah, Naruto, as loud and obnoxious as always, I see."

The blond casually strode their way.

"No Kaka-sensei, I'm just happy right now. My man Sasuke is going to marry." He slapped the Uchiha hard on the back of his shoulder and that only deserved a punch back.

"Hmm, some things never change." Kakashi sighed, seeing two of his best student ever go on like they used to.

"Yeah, and you never do anything about it, Kaka-sensei." Naruto rubbed his sore spot where Sasuke just hit him.

"Naruto, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me 'sensei' as if we're in Japan."

Hatake Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke's private teacher who learned them everything they needed to know.

And he could learn them _everything_ that could be learned.

From being a good businessman till cooking and from Kung-Fu till playing a guitar. There was almost nothing that Kakashi couldn't do.

Once Naruto had dared Kakashi to play a harp, break 4 logs in one time, then play violin afterwards cook a 5 star meal.

He did it with ease and even read his dirty porn book between it all.

What was a huge mystery though, was his face. He always had that mask on and that bandana over his right eye. And even though they saw him take off that bandana once in a while, they never saw his face completely.

Obito, Sasuke's older cousin, claimed that he saw Kakashi's face once. He was Kakashi's friend since childhood and was the one who introduced Fugaku, Mikito and Kushina to teach Sasuke and Naruto school and all that stuff.

He never said how Kakashi's face looked like though. But only told that his face wasn't much different from all the other faces, only he was…

And there Obito stayed quiet. So still, till even today, Naruto and Sasuke wondered what it exactly was.

Ugly?

Handsome?

Weird?

Strange?

Abnormal color?

Nobody knew.

Kakashi was a strong yet lazy person. Mysterious yet open. -He reads his favorite book in public- He's always aware of everything yet he comes always late everywhere.

Hatake truly was one of a kind.

Much like Naruto.

"Ah, but 'sensei' is way cooler." The Uzumaki called his teacher 'sensei' since he was twelve. When he was Anime, Manga and Japanese movies-addicted.

Kakashi sighed and turned back to Sasuke. "Still can't believe that your actually getting married. And before me nonetheless." The silver haired man said calmly to the now bored looking Uchiha.

"You're never going to settle, gramps. So stop lying to us and to yourself." Naruto pointed out.

"Gramps?" Kakashi's eyebrows drew together in a frown.

The blond man began to grin. "Well yeah, you didn't want me to call you sensei, so I thought of another name that's very fitting for you."

Kakashi was one man who absolutely didn't like being called old in any way. He rather liked being called sensei than old.

He had denied himself that he became year after year older, trying to forget his own age. He always avoided his birthday, he didn't get why people still celebrated their birthday after 21. What's to celebrate? It was a step closer to becoming an old person, meaning stiff, weak and useless.

It was his one and only deepest darkest fear in the entire world and there was no way to prevent it.

It was nature, the way of the world.

"Gramps? How can you utter such a word to Kakashi? You can clearly see he's enjoying and praising his youth just like me!" Someone pronounced behind the three men.

"Maito Gai." Naruto said slowly.

Gai grinned and gave them the 'good-guy' pose. Thumps up, shinning teeth and all.

"Yes Naruto, it is I, the one and only youth-loving man in this building! Maito Gai, and my goal of life is to beat Kakashi and rub it in his face."

Kakashi and Naruto both sweat dropped, finding this quite embarrassing. Sasuke stared impassively, finding Gai acting childish and a moron. Completely ridiculous.

"What do you mean with 'the one and only youth-loving man in this building'?" Rock Lee stood behind Gai looking a little hurt and angry.

"Oh Lee, my precious student, you're here! Forgive me for I have forgotten that there is another man who adores youth as much as I do." Gai went to hug Lee.

The green spandex wearer hugged him happily back.

Sasuke was wrong, _both_ Lee and Gai have passed ridiculous on the way, they were much worse than that.

"Bushy brows!" Naruto exclaimed, punching him hard on the shoulder. "You're here! In Miami! How was Japan?"

"Not as great as I hoped it to be. I didn't find my perfect youthful woman and it's boring without you guys."

His face went sad for just a second, then he lightened back up. "That's why I decided to move back to Miami."

"That's so wonderful Lee. I have missed you so much." Gai almost cried.

"I see that almost the whole gang is here." He grinned widely. "By the way, where is Neji?" Lee looked around and as on cue a long white limousine parked in front of the church.

The door opened and a tall figure stepped out, face almost as impassive as Sasuke's and long coffee-brown hair with lavender eyes.

"Neji!" Lee yelled.

The said man turned and raised a brow, surprised to see Lee standing at the entrance of the church. He thought he was rid of him for good when he moved to Japan.

Clearly not.

Neji ignored the yelling idiot for the time being and sidestepped, letting another stoic looked man come out of the limo.

Everyone recognized him as Hyuuga Hiashi, head leader of the Hyuuga family, and Neji's uncle. He went to stand next to the limo, clearly waiting for somebody more.

Then a teenage girl of barely sixteen years old, followed him. Hiashi's daughter, Hyuuga Hanabi. She took his arm as walked into the church.

They congratulated Sasuke on the way and walked into Saint Mary Cathedral.

Just when they thought that Neji would close the door and followed his uncle's trail, he kept standing there, looking into the limo.

A slender, beautiful shaped leg with a high heeled sandal below, came out of the door.

Both Sasuke and Naruto were surprised.

Who the hell was this? Hiashi always came with Hanabi and Neji alone. Who else came today?

Neji put out his hand for this mysterious person to grab and a rather small, feminine hand took it. He softly pulled the person up.

What they saw took their breath away.

An unfamiliar woman that they never had the pleasure of seeing before came out of the same limo that Hiashi and his daughter stepped out off.

She was amazingly, no, scratch that, unbelievable beautiful.

Her hair, a color of midnight blue that contrasted her ivory flawless and soft looking skin, almost reached the end of her back. You could see it was professionally cut and blow dried. She wasn't tall, even with those high heels, she still didn't get much higher. She looked so small and fragile, like a glazed doll you could only look and admire. It was like if you touched her too hard she would break into thousand pieces, thus needs to be taken care of with much patients and delicacy.

She looked so sweet and soft.

A smile playing on her beautiful and oh-so kissable lips, which were shinning by the little amount of lip gloss they put on her.

Her dress reached just above her knees, revealing those smooth legs of hers. Her shoulders were complete bare, giving the dress a feminine and sexy touch. A white scarf-like, hung loose around her shoulders, for if she gets cold, covering that what was bare.

They could see her lips saying 'Thank you' to Neji.

"W-who's that?" Naruto breathed out, looking at her in total awe.

Sasuke said nothing as he too didn't know. What he did know was, that she had lavender pupil-less eyes, meaning she's a Hyuuga.

The woman gently took Neji's arm he put out for her and leaded her inside. She walked gracefully; her steps were like a feather on a cloud. Light and small.

Ocean blue eyes followed her every move and it was like he was obsessed within one second.

The two passed them in silence, Neji only nodded and Sasuke nodded back.

Meanwhile, Naruto prayed for eye contact. For anything, just so she would notice him.

And just before they completely passed them, she looked at him.

Eyes in a beautiful angelic face met his. He smiled, one that was as playful as it was flirtatious, and with much victory to his own, the woman blushed.

"Wow. Who exactly was that?" Lee asked, following the back of the two Hyuugas.

"Frankly, I don't know." Sasuke said monotone. Looking at them as everybody else.

For this moment, the unfamiliar gorgeous woman stole the show as the whole church turned to see who Hyuuga Neji brought in. Everyone in the church that is, except Hiashi and Hanabi.

"S-she's beautiful." Naruto whispered, eyes still on the back of her head as Neji let her sit down beside Hiashi.

Kakashi's eye turned to the Uzumaki who had no idea he's being watched.

They saw how Neji didn't take a seat just yet, but turned back their way.

"Hmm, I think someone has picked up your interest, Naruto." Kakashi said calmly.

But the said man didn't even respond, he was still busy with staring at the woman's back.

"Uchiha." Neji stated monotone when he reached the small group of men.

"Hyuuga." Sasuke answered.

And that was all they said, enough for them to understand that one said 'Congratulations' in that word and the other said 'Thanks'.

How exactly they did it and how they understood each other was a mystery, but they did.

"Nej-"

"Who was that?" Naruto cut Lee off, wanting to know for dear life who the woman is.

"Who is who?" He inquired emotionless.

"That gorgeous woman you brought in here! That angel!"

Neji frowned a bit. "You mean my cousin?"

"No, your grandmother, yes her! Who is she? And why haven't I ever seen her before?"

"She is Hiashi's daughter."

"What? Impossible, I thought the only daughter Hiashi had was Hanabi."

Neji shook his head no. "She is his eldest daughter."

"And where has he been hiding her all these years?"

"She was sent to Kyoto, Japan into a private school since she was five. After that she went to the Yale. Last month she came back from vacation in Brazil."

"And why didn't Hiashi sent Hanabi too?"

"Hanabi is home schooled. Where Hashi can have an eye on her twenty-four seven."

"Wow." Naruto turned to look at her again. "She is so-"

"She is the heiress of the Hyuuga family. Meaning, Uzumaki, stay away from her."

"What?!" Naruto looked shocked. Why did Neji say that?

"I see that glint in your eyes and I see what you do to dozens of women. And I'm not allowing you to do the same with the heiress of the Hyuuga family and above all, to my cousin."

Naruto felt offended by this man. But he was partly right.

He had used women as toys, just to fuck them and get it over with. He and Sasuke got every skirt they wanted and no woman ever had a problem with opening their legs for them. Regrettably, with Sasuke, everything had changed when he met Karin. As Naruto continued to hunt down vaginas without his best friend.

But who had said that this was the same case as it was with all the other women?

Ok, he couldn't resist a pure and innocent looking woman, and she sure as hell looked like one, but, he felt something…

Different.

His heart actually skipped a beat instead of his dick becoming harder.

His mind filled with sweet, loving words to whisper in her ear all night instead of an animalistic voice screaming in his head to screw her raw the entire night.

He simply wanted to hold her, instead of touching her everywhere he possibly could.

He wanted to caress her delicate hands, instead caressing the treasure between her legs.

He wanted… her. In a soft manner he never thought he was capable of doing with any woman.

"I must know her name!" Naruto grabbed Neji's collar, pleading. Almost desperately.

Neji doubted if he should say it to the blond, but even he noticed that there was something else about him, something strange in those eyes.

"Hyuuga Hinata."

Naruto blinked. Letting Neji go, and whispered her name.

"Hinata…" Smiling, he looked back to her. "_My own sunflower…_"

"I think… that somebody's in love." Kakashi whispered into Sasuke's ear.

The Uchiha agreed. He had never seen his friend become this way by seeing a woman.

Not ever.

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"God, I can't do this." Karin paced around in the small backroom of the church.

Her white wedding dress glided over the ground with every step she took.

She was freaking nervous of what she was about to do.

All her friends had left her alone and let her wait in this agonizing quiet room.

Was she actually ready to do what she was about to do?

There was a soft knock.

She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth.

This was it, her cue to get married.

Quietly she grabbed the bouquet of white and pink Belgian roses just on time before somebody had opened the door for her. She saw her father stand there in a black with white tuxedo, a soft smile on his face. It was strange to see him without the Cuban cigar in the corner of his mouth all the time.

The soft tune of 'Here Comes the Bride' reached her ears as the whole crowded church began to stand on their feet to honor her.

Kaori put out an arm for his daughter to grab and she softly took it. Smiles were shot to her from everywhere, so she forced herself to smile back.

Her insides were everything but smiling right now.

Kaori walked her over to the altar, kissed her forehead before he let go. He silently sat behind his bored looking wife in the front row.

Karin's smirking fiancé took her hand and brought them both to the priest who was clad in white with gold. It was the wedding every girl dreamed of. Yet, Karin wasn't all to happy about it.

She saw Naruto at Sasuke's side, smiling. But not at them, rather at somebody in the audience.

She didn't really care at whom Naruto was smiling at exactly, she was too bloody nervous for what was about to come.

Karin had quickly giving the Maid of Honor the bouquet of flowers. Standing before the priest, he made a sign that everyone could take their seat. He smiled to the couple before him, a platinum book in his hand. He had a nice sweet overcome.

"Dear beloved ones," The priest began. "We're gathered here today to join this man with this woman," He said out loud, pointing to Sasuke then to Karin. "And this woman with this man, into holy matrimony."

The nervousness that Karin had in her body filled and filled with each passing second. She hardly controlled herself to not tremble.

'_This is taking too long!'_

"That is why-"

"STOP!" Someone had shouted, interrupting the priest, as the church doors flung open.

The whole church whipped their heads at the same time towards that direction. And the people went; -GASP-

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**A/N; **'**Till here and not further.' Whahahahahhahahaha! LOL I think the most of you know what happened here but for you unknowing ones, it will be a little secret. **

**Ghihi.**

**Pfff, this was one booooooooring chapter. Che, not even ONE SasuSaku fluff in this. There is that Karin shit though and I hate this! I hate this chapter! It is too much Karin! Too much…. Argh her! I hate it. But… I have to. You should know how and why I put that little biatch in this story. That's why the many Karin 'issues' but, you shall not worry, because I PROMISE you that the next chapter will be a hell of a less boring and less KarinSasuke than the previous ones. **

**I Promise! **

**Anyway, I hope I did a wonderful job and coming with an original story here because if you guys are enjoying this as much as I'm writing this, then it'll be so much, much more fun. **

**Believe me! **

**I can't wait until you guys will all go and scream to the computer screen like I did when I was reading amazing cool fics. Because there will be a lot of moments from here on. I think… hehe. **

**Anyway, it is sooo cool to hear your opinion of this story, especially - and you should tell me- if Sasuke was OOC, which, like I say in every chapter, I don't want him to be. **

**Let me inform you guys, that I do not live in Miami, -logic if English isn't my primary language- so I had to do research of the church and all. -Suddenly I find myself sound like a pervert just as Jiraiya. BTW, JIRAIYA I LOVE YOUUU! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO! NOOOO! R.I.P- Saint Mary Cathedral is, in fact, for real. ** **I love Miami, I hope that I could go there one day. You guys who live there or has been there should know that, that place must be awesome. Frankly, I practically know nothing of Miami. **

**Besides that the sun burns there the entire year, a lot of people talk Spanish, and that there's water for as far as you can see, I know nothing about it. Hence the research. **

**I chose this city because it's my second favorite place I want to go in the world. Next to New York. I want to go there so, so badly and I will! **

**Love you all for now and ever and please review! **

**Häagen-Dazs for everybody who does review and ever reviewed for me! **

**Yay. **

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'_We started looking for an angel, ending up finding the Devil' - _**Some random character in the series; 'Num3rs'**

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_To be Continued, Same Site, Same Story_

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	4. Runaway Bride

**A/N: Hello, hello, Welcome, to those who just had begun to read my story and welcome back to those who already did. **

**Oh yeah, HAPPY B-DAY NARUTO-KUN! 16 years old and still counting. I hope you would have a great amazing birthday there in Naruverse, if you aren't too busy with training or so. Lol, I love you. **

**I think that the most of you already know what will happen up next but there is a lot to come right now. I shall warn you though, that there will be a piece in this chapter that will be cut short, and those who love it will be rather disappointed, why? I will explain at the end of the chapter.**

**Of course here I am coming with a new super long chapter for ya'll. -Shorter then the previous one but long nonetheless.- I like my chapters long, and besides, I don't want this to be 50 chapters long story. That's a little too much for me.**

**That reason and… there wasn't much SasuSaku fluff. Now I will not say that there are in this chapter, you have to find out yourself, but I feel guilty for giving you the annoying KarinxSasuke shit.**

**Believe me; I hate it as much as every KarinxSasuke hater out there, but I needed you guys to understand how the relationship of Sasuke and her was. How our -usually emotionless- boy feels about her. And how I'm going to make this work from that point on.**

**Mark my words as I tell you that it will be interesting.**

**Till the end of this chapter. **

**Disclaimer****; I do not own any of **_**Naruto**_** character or any brand I've put in here. Only when you hear that I am the queen of the world then you'll know that I own everything I mentioned in this story. Before that, nothing is mine. -Sad- T.T**

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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'_Come away with me in the night.' - _**Norah Jones.**

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'_What the hell?' _

Everybody thought as they turned their head towards that person who interrupted the entire wedding.

"She's not going to marry you, Uchiha!"

Who the fuck gave him the nerve to barge in like that? Sasuke shot Tatiana a certain death glare. Karin took an invisible step backwards.

"She's coming with me!"

"How's that?" Sasuke snarled, surprisingly calm, but still his eyes was narrowed in a vicious like way.

Naruto, and probably the whole crowd, asked themselves how Sasuke could react so calm in a situation like this.

The man has just interrupted your wedding! Scream! Yell! Punch him square in the face!

But no, not Sasuke. Would it have been Fugaku then Naruto was sure he was now trying to get the male Uchiha off of Tatiana.

Truth to be told, Sasuke was confused at why Tatiana was here, saying that _his_ fiancée was going with _him._

"Because she loves me!" Kiki pointed to himself with his thumb.

'_What?' _Sasuke's eyes became the size of dinner plates.

What the fuck? How the hell is that possible if he said that he even had never seen her before?

Unless…

Sasuke whipped his head towards Karin so hard; some people were wondering if he didn't snap his own neck.

Her crimson eyes seemed sad but they were telling him that Tatiana was telling the truth.

Suddenly Sasuke felt sick. He had never felt betrayed and hurt like this ever in his life.

Karin didn't want to cry. This was her choice and she would take it like a woman. She looked straight into Sasuke's onyx orbs; they were clearly angry and demanding an explanation. She took a breath, hearing that the whole church was silent. As if waiting for her to speak.

Tension hung in the air and the oxygen became unbearably to take in.

"Sasuke…" She whispered, taking one step towards Kiki.

He waited for what she had to say, he waited impatiently but he waited. So did the people around them.

This was like an action movie where the conclusion is happening right now.

"I… I…"

He stared and waited.

"I'm… pregnant."

The church made an over dramatic gasp. "OH!"

If Sasuke's eyes didn't became oversize before then they did now.

"W-what?" He asked softly. He had never, ever, stammered before in his life. Ever! Only hearing this news was like an unexpected punch in the gut that knocked all the air out of him.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke." She turned fully to Kiki now.

This was NOT happening. Not only was she leaving him, she was pregnant of another man!

The family and friends of Sasuke and Karin rose to their feet as they followed how this unfamiliar person and Karin run out of the church together. Whispers, pointed fingers and disbelieving stares were on the two.

"Karin, wait!" Sasuke ran after them. In the corner of his eye he could see his father's impassive face and his mother's worried look.

He heard Naruto call his name but he couldn't care right now, he had to get to Karin. He loved her more than he could believe so himself and he wasn't going to let her go that easily. If he ever learned anything from Naruto that was not to ever give up.

He heard and felt footsteps behind him. He didn't know who followed him, but he did not think much about it, he needed to reach Karin as soon as possible. He saw the ed of her long white dress pass the frame of the church doors. The sun hit him hard in his eyes and he had to narrow his orbs to see correctly.

"Karin!" He yelled, coming out of Saint Mary Cathedral.

Tatiana was already on his black Ducati, starting the big motorcycle.

"I can't, Sasuke!" She yelled back, turning her head before she sat behind Kiki.

"No!" He was desperate now. He wanted her back for anything in the world. "I love you! You can't-"

Half the people had walked out of the church to see the spectacle go down up close.

The sound of the Ducati rung through his ears as realization hit him that she was forever leaving him.

Forever!

"No!" Sasuke ran up to them.

"Kiki, go! Go now!" Karin tapped Kiki's shoulder and he obeyed happily.

They left without looking back.

Everybody, including Sasuke, stood still and quiet, staring off in the distance to where they sped off to.

Hundreds eyes fell upon Sasuke after minutes, looking how he kept looking to the empty place Karin and Kiki were standing just moments ago.

Sasuke felt…

Empty.

His whole world has been crashing in. His life had no more sense. He lost taste in his mouth, the air smelled weird, his vision became worse in a second and his body became cold.

He had pain in his chest, a place he thought he would never get hurt if he played his cards right.

He _had_ played them right. So what went wrong?

What was this? Why did he felt like he wanted to scream? Wanted to beat something? Wanted to whisper? Wanted to hear sad music? Wanted to explode? Wanted to…

Cry?

The silence was killing everybody but there was nothing that could be said.

"Oh my… Karin just left Sasuke standing at the altar like that." A female whispered, but because of the utter silence, it came out like a scream.

Everybody heard it.

The Uchiha didn't know who said it, but that line had hurt him in a way that he never would've imagined a line with words could hurt like that. This was so bad; Karin had left him on his wedding day with a man that turns out she's pregnant of.

The embarrassment, the shame, the disgrace, the humility.

Sasuke clenched his jaw, pressed his nails into his palms, creating crescents in his skin.

"Sasuke...?"

That was Naruto. Who cannot recognize that blonde's voice?

He did spoke deadly quiet, knowing that his best friend is angry, hurt and even sad.

The ebony haired male didn't reply.

Mikoto gazed at her son, tears formed in her onyx eyes as she felt as betrayed as him. She wanted to say something, hug him. But she knew better then to go and embarrass him further than he already was by letting himself get hugged by his mother.

They will think he's a child needed to be comfort by his momma.

No, she didn't want that either. So she'll speak to Sasuke later on tonight, when nobody's around.

The only thing she could do now was pray that Naruto will begin to ease Sasuke's pain for a while.

"Are you-" The Uzumaki stopped as he saw Sasuke abruptly turn and walk away from the church and everybody who stood before it.

A light hand touched Naruto's lower back. He turned only to see Kushina look up to him with equally sad eyes.

"Mom…" He said softly.

The woman with red long hair that reached her knees put her hand on his shoulder now.

"Give him a moment; he needs to have some time alone."

"But-"

"Hush." She set her hand on her tall son's lips. "Go see him tonight. But not right now." She smiled softly. Not a true smile, but one just to comfort him.

"Fine."

"Do you know him?" Kushina asked, looking at the direction that the two on the motorcycle had disappeared to.

"Who? That man?"

She nodded.

"Yes. We've made a deal a couple months ago between our companies. We would promote his company here if he did it with ours in Japan." Naruto told his mother, still looking at the road. "Sasuke didn't like him from the very beginning."

"And now this happens. That must mean that the deal's off."

Naruto shook his head no. "Can't. We're in a waterproof contract. We're stuck with him for three years. If we don't see results that he has indeed promoted our company in Japan within these three years, we sue his ass and get 80 million dollar back from him."

Kushina whistled low. She glanced around, seeing her best friend Mikoto on brick to cry.

"You know, this must hurting Sasuke so freaking much." Naruto said almost inaudible.

Kushina tilted her head up towards her son.

"She confessed that she was pregnant of another man," He started, she nodded. "In front of more than five hundred people."

Ouch. That really, really had to hurt. She didn't want to know what Sasuke was going through right now.

"Now everybody knows that she cheated on him, for apparently months, and that she ran off with that same man we work with."

Kushina said nothing as she had no idea what to say.

What kind of words were for occasions like this? 'Sorry' wouldn't cut it.

There were no words.

None.

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Sasuke walked away from the leaking church.

His silver Mercedes Benz SLR was decorated with flowers and signs with 'Just Married' written on it.

Rage and hatred continued to fill his cold body as he grabbed the signs and decoration and threw them on the street.

He didn't want to see anybody. No church, no family, no friends, no acquaintances, no home, no nothing.

All he wanted right now was to be alone.

And…

Karin back in his arms.

He stepped into his car, starting it and putting it in reverse. Crushing all the decorations on the ground with his car, he drifted hard on them and drove away.

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Naruto whipped his head from left to right. Seeing how the church slowly leaked empty.

Limousines after limousines and expensive cars after expensive cars came picking up the guests who didn't had a reason to stay.

Although, there were still many people as he looked around.

He had put his mother in one of those limousines towards his home. Saying to her that he stayed to help the Uchihas get rid of all these people.

At least… that's what he had _said_ to her.

In reality, he was doing something far more important than that. It was like he was obsessed and he couldn't let go. It was like he had a disease and that was his cure. He couldn't stop, whatever he thought.

Even if somebody had put a bowl of ramen before him right now he would deny it.

Because he was too busy, too occupied in finding _her_.

That angel.

"Hinata…"

He couldn't find her; it was still crowded with many guest blocking his view.

But he guessed that if he finds Hiashi, Hanabi and Neji he would automatically find her along with them. Walking around with no results at all, he stopped when somebody moved and cleared his vision.

There stood Neji, talking to someone as tall as him, Hiashi.

A smile began to creep up the blonds face.

Beside Hiashi stood his youngest daughter, -but not the daughter he wanted to see- Hanabi.

Her lavender eyes set in the liquid drink she had in her hands, clearly thinking. And next to her stood…

Nobody.

'_Nobody?!'_ Naruto's smile vanished as quickly as it came when he noticed that Hinata wasn't among them.

'_Why not? Why isn't she there? Where is she?' _

Where is that sunflower that he got to make his?

He had no clue. If she wasn't with her father, sister and cousin, then where could she be?

The corner of Naruto's lips curled downwards into a pout. He had to find her, no matter how long it takes. He wasn't one to ever give up.

Not once in a million years.

He turned back on his heel, continuing searching for her.

When he passes a bush of roses at side of the church were practically nobody stood, he found somebody gazing at them. He stopped in his tracks to glance over to the person who was standing there.

_She_ stood there, at the bush of roses that were white of color from up far, but closely they had a blush of pink on them. She decided to make a stroll around alone when she got tired of standing with her father all the time. That's how she found these roses, and she enjoyed seeing how they beautifully opened in Miami's hot sun.

She smelled them, not to be tempted by touching the gorgeous flowers because their thorns looked pretty sharp. The roses had something mystic about them, like they contained many unknown secrets, and showed them to everybody every day by blossoming, but no one knew what they meant.

The language of the nature that no human being will ever understand.

She smiled when she thought about how many before her had admired these flowers but, just like herself, but didn't comprehend with what they showed in every leaf of them, every day.

"Beautiful…"

The Hyuuga heard the voice of an unfamiliar male say softly behind her.

She turned around slowly, her long hair swaying around with her, and her lavender eyes fell upon a tall, handsome blond man. It was the same man she saw before at the entrance of the church with that enchanting smile of his.

He had the very same one on his face right now.

A soft smile graced her features, trying very hard not to blush.

When she was younger she would always stammer, squeak like a mouse, turn into the color of a cherry or sometimes even faint, around the boy she had a crush on.

They weren't many, but there still were.

She pushed herself hard to change that.

"Aren't they?" She answered, glancing back to the roses.

The blond took one, unnoticed, step towards her. "I wasn't talking about the roses." He said low.

Hinata couldn't handle that comment as she quickly turned around before he noticed the blush. But Naruto knew better, as he had made many girls like her blush, he knew exactly how the handle them, how to treat them.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I thought you were talking about the flowers." She said with the steadiest voice she could manage.

And Naruto was impressed actually, how she succeeded in still sound so confident even if he knew what kind of effect he had on her. "You don't mind do you?"

Hinata shook her head, her back still faced to him.

"I don't think I have ever seen you here before, what's your name?" Naruto sounded so calm, so flirtatious.

She quietly gulped, thanked God once again that she wasn't looking him in the eye. "I think you already inquired my name." She said softly but still steady. "If you are that interested in me."

Naruto smirked.

Touché.

This was a woman he definitely is going to like.

"So, I don't really have to repeat my name, do I?" Honestly, she was proud of herself, even if she couldn't face him right now.

"True… Hinata. But I don't think you know my name." Naruto smiled.

"Is it that important that I must know your name?" She asked, wondering what he would say next.

He _definitely_ liked this woman. "Why not?"

She couldn't help it but smile. He was turning her questions right back at her.

"You tell me." She too can play that game.

He got her there; he might as well go for the straight approach. "Because you might say it more often than you expect, in the future."

Suddenly his voice was awfully close. She felt his breath on the back of her ear, she didn't even hear him walk to her in that slim second, and now she felt warm all over.

"Uzumaki Naruto…" He whispered seductively. "And I can assure you, that you will not _ever_ forget that name."

She turned around, realizing how small their distance was between them.

Caught by beautiful eyes so blue that they had a brightness of their own, she froze. That alone made her breath hitch in her throat.

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"Oh my God! Uchiha Sasuke didn't marry?" Marina squealed, a grin plastered on her face. "I am so happy! Yes! I told you guys so! Haha, he's mine! All mine! Mine now, mine forever!" She laughed evilly while walking out of the maids' room after hearing from a random butler what had happened at Saint Mary cathedral.

Sakura and Ino gaped at each other as they heard the news.

Truth to be told, Sakura didn't know how she felt.

Happy? Because the one she loves didn't marry another woman?

Sad? Because the one she loves must feel pretty bad right now and she didn't want that.

She would be selfish if she said that he really shouldn't have married Karin. But she heard it with her own ears, he loved her and if she truly loves Sasuke then she would let him go and let him be happy.

Because if you love someone, you will grant that someone whatever it wants.

And she wanted him to be happy. Even if it never will be with her.

"Did you hear that? Sa-Sasuke actually didn't marry." Ino said to her pink haired friend.

"Yeah…" She responded quietly. "Why?"

The platinum blond shrugged. "I don't know. All they would say was that she left him at the altar. That's it."

"He must feel awful." Sakura almost whispered, looking down sadly.

"I would! Hell, she left him standing there in front of five hundred guests! If I was him, I would hunt her down and skin her like a fish!"

"It's not funny, Ino. This is a serious issue." Sakura almost glared at her. Finding that very insensitive of her.

"Ok, calm down. Geez. I don't know why you get all angry about this. It's not that he will get all worried and sad about you if you are heartbroken."

"Yeah…" She sighed, pushing her glasses up. "You're right."

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**- One week later. Miami, Uchiha Mansion. -**

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Sasuke hadn't returned to his home for a week.

He didn't want to see that house, his parents, his brother, his friends or entire Miami for that matter.

He only wanted to be alone and far from everybody he knew.

That's why he went to Dominica all by himself and tried to forget Karin with the help of a great friend; Alcohol.

Of course he didn't tell anybody where he went, then Naruto would be the first person who will go after him and drag his ass back to Miami.

No, he wanted to disappear from the radar and not to get pulled back by his best friend. But even though he was drunk for a whole week non-stop, -without that it actually helped him to forget Karin- he decided in the first hangover he got that week, that he should head back home.

When he arrived at Miami International Airport, he growled. Black sunglasses covered his face to protect and hide his bloodshot eyes.

He really, really, _really_, didn't want to be here.

He casually walked over to a taxi, handed the chauffeur his handbag he brought along and carelessly sat in the backseat. An old woman of maybe 70 or 80 years old was about to take that same taxi. She half glared to Sasuke as he just bypassed her and casually took a seat.

"I was taking this cab, young man." She said, tapping against the half opened window.

Sasuke slightly turned his head to the side to face the grandma.

"Do you mind doing an old woman a favor by letting her get at her grandchild's birthday a little earlier?" She smiled sweetly, expecting that this young man will step out any moment now.

"Who gives a shit about that?" Sasuke said colder than ice, not caring in the slightest. "If you wanted to see your grandchild that much you would've arrived a day earlier. So go and lie someone else with that pathetic, stupid excuse." He said calmly like it was the most normal thing in the world.

The old woman gasped, not believing her ears. Of all the years she had lived she had never met such an unmannered, egoistic, self-absorbed, rude and cold person ever before.

Sasuke looked back ahead of him; ignoring the glare he got from the old lady and saw that the taxi driver was already seated. Looking at him threw his rear-mirror.

"What are you waiting for? Drive." He commanded the chauffeur harshly.

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- **Miami, Uchiha Mansion - **

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He was hoping that the house would be empty except for the servants.

But what are the odds with a mother like his…?

"Sasuke, honey! You're back! Ooh, I was so worried!"

…None.

Mikoto hugged him tightly and he loosely draped his arm around her in response.

"Honey, are you ok? Where did you go? Are you alright? Did you hear something of her?" She shot the first question after the other.

"I'm fine." Sasuke replied monotone.

His mother looked up to him.

"You're not. Don't lie to me. Nobody would be after what happened." She said softly, her dark orbs filling with sadness once again.

"Hn. Look what the cat dragged in." Fugaku stood arms crossed against the frame of the door that connected the Main entrance hall with the huge ballroom. His face harder than stone, ignoring once again his wife's glare that she sent his way. "I hope you're finished sulking around like an idiotic child for wherever the hell you were."

Sasuke, who still hadn't removed the black sunglasses of his face, turned to his father. He really didn't need this right now. Why did he come back again? Because it sure wasn't to see him.

"I hoped you sobbed enough for some woman, you stupid boy. Did you even know the conditions of the company when you were away, again?! Crying for a _run_-_away_ _bride_."

"Fugaku that's enough!" Mikoto shouted to him.

"Fuck no!" He rasped back to her. "If it wasn't for that Uzumaki then God knows how many clients you have lost this week. They were important for the company, you low life son of a bitch! Hasn't Kakashi learnt you anything? The company is the gravest important part in your life right now. Hasn't he thought you that time is money? And you used too many of it weeping around for something as irrelevant as that slut-"

_SMACK!_

Mikoto was trembling with anger when Fugaku looked back at her. She had slapped him so hard that his head snapped to the very other direction.

His cheek turned tomato red in 5 seconds flat, where you could clearly see Mikoto's handprint. She turned crimson of fury and Sasuke had to hold her so she would stop shaking of pure anger.

"Don't you EVER snarl at me like that AGAIN! And don't you DARE talk about the company after what Sasuke has been through! Do. You. Understand. Me?!" She spat with venom and a glare that even Fugaku couldn't create.

Oh how she wanted to slap her husband until she saw purple.

Fugaku said nothing, as he only stared wide-eyed to his wife. He touched his left cheek, and retreated his hand quickly when he made contact with his skin.

It burned and stained and hurts like hell.

That woman could slap!

He knew he went too far today, but his pride held him from apologizing to his wife.

And even though Sasuke was the one who deserves an apology more than anyone in this hall, he shouldn't and wouldn't give one as he neglected the company for a whole damn week.

Remember, the most important thing in Fugaku's life was the company.

He saw how Sasuke's eyebrows knit together above his sunglasses. Meaning that he was glaring at him.

And he glared back, like he could actually give a shit. He growled low and turned on his heel to leave.

"Hold on mister!" Mikoto sneered to him.

He froze on place but didn't turn to face them.

"What." He barked. You could clearly hear that he was suppressing his anger. He really didn't want to see both of them for the rest of the day.

"Apologize…" She said low. "To Sasuke."

_Damn it!_

This woman really knew how to press his buttons, she was annoying as hell and he couldn't do anything about it.

_No! No! No!_

Damn that woman to hell and back. At days like this he didn't even know why he actually married her. He turned to his wife and son with the biggest scowl plastered on his face. More death glares were sent to the other ebony haired man when he saw that he was smirking at him.

What the hell was he laughing about? He should be laughing about that red haired bitch that didn't want to marry his ass.

Deciding that he rather shouldn't voice his thoughts, he deepened his glare.

Sasuke smirked only because the handprint on his father's cheek became _very_ visible.

Itachi is missing this.

"Sasuke…" He growled. He stayed quiet.

He did not do 'sorry'.

'Sorry' is a pathetic excuse for people to let other people get away with what they did. That's why he didn't tolerate 'sorry'. He doesn't accept no 'sorry' of anybody. Neither does he ever say the 'S-word', because asking for someone's forgiveness means that that person has some kind of authority by deciding if that person should forgive you yes or no.

And he will never give somebody that liberty.

The most time of his life he had money, meaning that he had power, and power means that you never had to say you're sorry. You would get away with everything. No questions asked.

But to apologize to a younger Uchiha, his son nonetheless, who had the most control now, hurts a lot of his pride.

Mikoto and Sasuke stood there. Waiting, for his ever-so happily apologize.

"Hn… Sorry." With that, he had left the two.

-

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* * *

-** 4 months later -**

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* * *

  
**

"He's been in his room for months now, he won't come out." Ino told Sakura when they were cleaning library.

"He's still depressed because of Karin. I would be too."

"Yeah, but that's been… what? Four, five months ago? He didn't even went to the company! He practically has locked himself up there." Ino felt pity for him, it must be really bad to go through such a thing.

"I mean, how the hell could Karin leave somebody as Uchiha Sasuke behind?! It _is_ Uchiha Sasuke we're talking about. Probably the most gorgeous, rich and bodylicious man in entire Miami! Maybe even in entire Florida!" Ino was still stunned.

Was Karin drunk the day she had ran away from Sasuke?

_Karin is insane!_

"I don't know. There had to be something." Sakura pushed her glasses up. She really wondered why any woman would ever leave Uchiha Sasuke.

Ino gasped dramatically. "Maybe he was… bad in bed."

Sakura's eyes widen like the full moon, a blush on her cheeks. "Ino! Don't say those things."

She halted a moment. "But m-maybe he is?" She whispered, the blush coloring into a deeper red.

"You think? O-or maybe.." Ino looked around, checking if nobody was hearing her. She talked like this was a top secret, which it was, if somebody heard them…

"Maybe he has…" Whispering more softly; "A little penis!"

"OOOOH! NO WAY!" Sakura shouted, blushing more than ever before.

Ino cringed by the sudden yell.

"Ssh!" She hushed her pink haired friend. "Not so loud, you crazy!"

"Sorry." She whispered just as Ino now. "But you really think that by the height Sasuke has and that body, he really has a… you know… peenie wienie?"

Ino shrugged unknowingly. "Maybe… you never know."

The two stared quietly into each other's eyes. Thinking about what they just gossiped about.

A smile came on both faces. "Nááááh!" They said unison.

"Like hell he has." Ino added.

"Really, so not true!" Sakura said right behind her.

"Besides, who would leave a man like Uchiha Sasuke even if he has a…"

"I know I wouldn't! He still has a gorgeous body and endless amount of money! I could buy a larger penis if he hadn't!" Ino grinned perverted.

Sakura nodded quietly. Looking downwards.

The platinum blond forgot that she shouldn't talk about those things with her friend.

She knew that the woman was virgin, mostly because she had never been with a guy. And by talking about those things that she never experienced only made her uncomfortable and brought her shame.

"Oh, uuhm… sorry Sakura."

"What? Why? Hehe.. You can talk as much as you want. I'm a grown up woman." She laughed sheepishly, clearly nervous.

"Haha, let's go forehead!"

-

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* * *

**- Later that evening, Uchiha Mansion. - **

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**

Sakura sat silently in the maids' room, writing a letter when suddenly Marina came in and disturbed her.

"Hey ugly nerd, I need you!"

Sakura looked up to the black haired female.

"Huh? Why?"

"You need to go to the first floor and grab a medic bottle in the guest bathroom. And do it quick, because I just don't want to!"

Sakura blinked but nodded. She was not one to protest against Marina. Ino wasn't there to defend her. She went home and didn't take the nightshift and so in order to prevent a fight she obeyed.

She hide the letter that she was writing under her pillow. Then bypassed Marina with a look of fear on her face.

Marina enjoyed her fear, she fed on it and grew stronger and more confidence with it. That's why she hated Ino that much, she wouldn't take anything what she had to say. When Sakura's short body went around the corner, she quickly walked over to her bed and tilted up her pillow, seeing a folded letter with a pen beside, she grabbed it.

Unfolding it carelessly, not giving a damn that it was another's belongings, she let her eyes scan over the paper.

A neat handwriting, she had to admit.

Not even a minute later were her chocolate brown eyes wide like two headlights.

"What the fuck?!" She yelled, once realizing what that ugly freak was writing.

She glared, hating that woman now more than ever before.

-

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* * *

Sakura walked up the long stairs to the first floor.

Honestly, she didn't like going on the first and second floor in the evening. Then everybody will be in their room. Usually it's Sasuke alone, but mostly Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha will be there too, sometimes Itachi and occasionally Sasuke's friends. The thought that she could bump into one of them alone made her feel quite uncomfortable and nervous.

Sakura turned right, into a dimly lit hallway.

It was totally quiet, as she tiptoed through the hall like a mouse.

Suddenly she saw an open door that had lights and sounds of a TV coming out of it.

She sneaked pass the door, in a flash seeing somebody on the king sized bed.

Wasn't that Sasuke's room?

"Haruno…"

That voice. That low, deep voice confirmed what she thought seconds ago.

Why was he calling her? Isn't he still angry about that bottle?

She backed to the door and glanced in. It was a long time ago that she had seen her master's room. Not that it changed much, the room was still the same.

She peeked her head towards the bed.

Seeing Sasuke lying there with the remote control in his right hand and…

Half naked.

His upper half body that was slim yet very well toned simply took her breath away. How much she wanted to touch those hard muscles, even if it was for a moment.

He lay there, looking straight to her with his coal dark eyes, his hair slightly messy and black loose sweatpants around his hips.

"Y-yes?" She stuttered.

He didn't answer but only made the gesture for her to come closer to his bed.

Slowly, her feet began to move towards them like they had a will of them own.

Was she really stepping into his room because he called her?

Was she really walking to him in this agonizing slow manner while he sat there like it was the normal thing in the world when he didn't know that he was inwardly killing her with that delicious body of his.

'_God help me!'_

Sasuke waited in patients he normally didn't have, for her to come closer.

This was the first time in months that she sees Sasuke, and the worst thing is, that he actually lied there, without a shirt nonetheless.

"What are they saying out there?" He asked calmly as soon as she reached the end of the bed.

Sakura blinked. What did he mean? She softly voiced her thought

Sasuke briefly closed his dark orbs and let out a sigh.

"You're a maid, they know much about everything. What do they say out there?"

Sakura blinked again, her red thick glasses slid of her nose, carefully she pushed it back up.

"D-do they say about w-what?

Sasuke looked at her, frowning lightly. Could she stop playing dumb?

Annoying woman.

He didn't forget that this was the woman who broke the bottle he had the fullest intention of using for his…

Yeah.

"What do you think? About…" He halted there, not even wanting to state the word.

Sakura's mouth turned into a 'o' form. "Uhm, n-nothing, sir."

His eyebrow came closer together. "You're lying."

"I-I mean that there's nothing special." She said as loud as a mouse. "T-they told that… Karin left you at the a-altar."

Sasuke's face harden at the name of that woman. A mixture of pain, hate, and betrayal went through him.

"Only that?" He asked her.

Sakura nodded. "Yes."

Sasuke sighed again, running a hand through his ebony messy hair. His eyes looked to his chest, thinking.

"Uhm.. M-may I ask why?" She whispered, getting the attention of the male Uchiha back.

He stayed quiet, he didn't exactly know if he should tell her.

"Do you know what happened?" He inquired first, a hint of pure anger in his eyes.

She was by frightened by the sudden change tone in his voice. "N-no, sir."

Sasuke's eyes moved away from her. "I rather like to die right now."

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* * *

Marina was furious when she had read that letter.

Unbelievable. After all those times that she had warned her, she still goes on and write this.

Marina turned to the door to look if Sakura was nearing.

But nothing.

She was taking too freaking long to come back from the bathroom. She was going to find that little bitch herself.

Marina walked out of the maids' room with the letter still in her hand. The only thing that prevented her from ripping that letter into thousands of pieces was because she was sure that she was going to prop that paper down her throat, choking that little wrench.

She walked on the stairs, well more stormed on the stairs, going through the same dimly lit hallway Sakura has gone through.

She saw an open door, knowing very well that it is Sasuke's bedroom. She slowed down, tiptoeing, making sure that nobody would hear her as she stood at the side of the door. Hearing;

"N-no, sir."

Marina gasped quietly. That was Sakura's voice! In Sasuke's room!

"I would like to die right now."

Marina gasped again, that was Sasuke's voice! Talking back to her.

"No! Why? Please… don't!"

Sasuke looked up to her. "What?"

Sakura blinked several times. "Nothing. N-nothing, sir."

The Uchiha took a breath. "Karin left me at the altar alright, for a man I work with, and she's pregnant… Of that same man." Sasuke said monotone. But Sakura could detect the hurt in his voice.

Marina and Sakura had gasped at the same time.

_Karin was pregnant?_

"S-she was what?" Sakura squeaked. "Pregnant?"

Sasuke nodded. "Of a man named Tatiana Kiki."

Sakura had heard of a company named Tatiana. It wasn't a magnificent company as the Uchiha's but it was trying.

"She let me know before five hundred men. That's why I want to die right now."

"No, you shouldn't Sasuke. Then I want to die too. Please, don't be so sad… it makes me so sad."

It was the will of her love, of her heart, that gave her the confidence to talk this way to him.

She hadn't realize that she had called him 'Sasuke' instead of the regular sir. Nor did Sasuke himself.

But Marina did. Still standing next to the door, eavesdropping, she grew white of hate. Her fists were clenched, hard, and ready to punch something. The paper automatically crunched with that.

How dare she? How dare she still talk to _her_ Sasuke while she clearly stated that she wanted the pink haired sewer rat far away from him.

Even if that blond pig was there at that time, she had to know that the command was for real.

And now she's here, while _her_ Sasuke was talking to that four-eyed ugly witch! Saying things to her he wouldn't say to anybody.

And since when was she on first name basis with him?

Marina wanted to hit her, pinch her, kill her, torture her.

But no, she calmed herself down. She would bring a punishment for that pink whore that's far more worse than death.

Immediately a plan had formed into Marina's head. And she was going to start on it tonight.

Operation; Fuck Haruno Sakura's Life!

"You're going down Haruno." Marina whispered. Half a scowl and half of an evil smile on her face.

"You're not saying this to any living soul." She heard Sasuke threaten to Sakura.

Marina decided to leave now, she still had a plan to work on.

"No, no. O-of course not!" Sakura smiled.

The first time she had sent Sasuke a smile and he noticed it. He stared at her for as long as the smile took.

There was something about her smile. Something that didn't suit her. But he couldn't exactly place what. As soon as the thought of Sakura and her smile faded away, Karin had entered his head again.

He was sick and tired of it. He wanted her out of there, desperately. She was gone. Couldn't his mind settle with that? Couldn't it accept it and continue with living just as it has been before he met Karin? Like he had with dozens and dozens of other women? Simply fuck and forget them?

But no, he kept on thinking of where she was. What she was doing. If she thought about him. About the time they had together and how their life could've turned out to be if she actually married him. If she thought that the baby she's carrying now could have been his someday.

Then, suddenly, like a slap across his face, Naruto popped in his head.

The blond with the ocean blue eyes had come last week for a visit.

"_Are you still moping around, teme?_" He had asked when he entered Sasuke's room without even knocking. Finding him on the same location he was currently at.

On the bed watching TV.

Sasuke had ignored him.

But this was another kind of ignoring. Usually when he ignored Naruto he was just doing it just to annoy him, they've been doing that since they were young. But that time Sasuke had a seriousness that even Naruto couldn't crack.

"_Teme, it has been four months man. You barely talk anymore. Well… at least a lot of a hell lesser than you used to, which turns out; not at all. You haven't come to the office for weeks, and even if you show up, you're there for an hour. Two hours tops. You hadn't come to any parties with us, you haven't returned any of our calls. Nothing! I think you don't even get out of this room to take some fresh air._"

Again, Sasuke had said nothing back to him, as he changed the channel.

"_The Sasuke I know would've shrugged this whole situation off a long time ago._"

But then again, that was not the Sasuke who was in love.

"_Come on, Sasuke-bastard. Snap out of it!_"

Naruto had walked over to the flat screen TV and turned it off

"_I'm talking to you!_"

Sasuke had shot him a glare but still didn't say a word.

"_The hell is wrong with y-_"

"_You don't know how it's like._" Sasuke had interrupted him coldly. His eyes had held no emotions at all, only darkness.

Naruto's angered face had switched into a softer one. "_No, I don't know how it's like to be in love._" He had stated calmly.

"_Not __**yet**__ anyway._"

Sasuke's eyes had shifted; he looked up to his best friend. What exactly he had meant with that statement, he didn't know.

Naruto didn't talk much about love. He rather yapped about how many times he had banged a woman on the weirdest places than talk about the subject love.

"_But you can't hang around and sulk for months for a woman who probably already forgot you. Life goes on. Where's the dude who said that he'll never would let a woman ruin his life? Huh? Where?_"

Sasuke had blinked slowly as he wasn't ignoring Naruto anymore. Instead he carefully took in his words. The dobe wasn't always this wit if he wasn't in the office, but this was a serious measure.

"_You know what?_" The Uzumaki began to grin.

Sasuke had wondered what was so funny that made the blond man smile like an idiot. He had frowned at the Uzumaki who stood at the end of the bed, flashing tooth and gum at him.

"_What?_" He had snapped at him.

"_Usually, when one loses something they miss dearly, and they can't forget about it, they go and-_"

"_Cut the crap and get to the point._"

"_Jeez teme, patients. Where was I again? Oh yeah, why don't you replace it?_"

Sasuke had arched one perfect brow at him. "_Replace? As in, replace Karin?_"

"_No, replace Neji! Yes, Karin! She's the reason you're heartbroken isn't it? Look, it isn't that you are actually replacing __**replacing **__Karin in your heart, but you need… a distraction._"

"_Hn. How?_"

"_C'mon Sasuke, you're a smart man. You know how. With other women, of course._"

Sasuke had frowned once again. Not liking this at all. How could Naruto put that into his head?

"_You want to forget about Karin, don't you? Then get another._"

Naruto did have a point. If he would get once chance to forget Karin, he would take it. As much as he loved her, she was way too many times in his head. He couldn't even think clearly.

So…Actually, that idea of Naruto wasn't that bad at all.

He eyed Sakura again with narrowed eyes, making it look like he was angry at her.

"W-what?" She stammered, feeling totally uncomfortable again.

"What did you mean with, if I wanted to die, you wanted to die too?" He asked, moving his legs over the edge of his king sized bed.

She blinked quickly and gulped. Her throat and mouth went completely dry.

"N-nothing."

Sasuke slowly shook his head. "No. Tell me."

Sakura stayed silent as she pushed her glasses back up with one trembling hand.

He came closer to her and she knew it all too well. She would've backed away if she wasn't nailed to the ground by those amazing eyes. He held her there with his gaze alone.

Taking two steps over, he reached her and noticed that the woman barely reached his shoulders. He towered over her like a shadow, covering her all over.

The scent of him, that oh-so aphrodisiac scent of him reached her nose. He wasn't wearing any cologne, like the last time in the wine caller, but he smelled clean; at soap and fresh laundry.

Realizing now that he was naked till his hips, she held back a shiver. She stole a glance from his body to his face and wished she didn't. Her own body craved to touch his, to feel every hard muscle and perfect abs. To let her hand roam from his chest, to his amazingly toned stomach, to his hips and lower.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to shrug away those shameful thoughts. Either way, a light blush caressed her face.

Sasuke mentally smirked as he so knows what she is thinking about. But he kept his expression motionless and his eyes set on her.

"Do you…" He began, speaking very low. "Have any feelings for me… Sakura?"

Oh God, the way he said her name! So low, so deep, so _good_. It made her skin crawl in delight. Goose bumps appeared on her skin as her name repeated over and over in her head of the way he had said it.

This was the second time he had mentioned her first name and… well… Actually, she could almost comprehend what Ino meant with having an orgasm standing.

Even though she never had one, it must feel pretty good by the stories she had heard before.

Sasuke saw all her thoughts going through her mind. She was like an open book and he read every line, every word, and every letter with ease.

"Answer me." He commanded, but he said it softly, gently in a husky-like way when he noticed that she took too long to reply.

"I… I…"

Already knowing that she indeed has feelings for him, by the way she was acting and physically responding, he included that she had a thing for him.

_Which woman didn't?_

"If you have… then help me. Do me a favor."

His hand caressed her cheek, and she gasped. She didn't prepare, or even saw it coming that Sasuke was going to touch her. His fingers were warm and barely touching her skin. Light as a feather he trailed from her cheek to her jaw and ended under her chin.

Softly, like a mother's touch with a new born baby, he lifted her chin to get her to look better at him, arching her neck.

"W-what d-do you want me to do?" She asked breathlessly, which she hadn't, taken away by Sasuke.

A smirk that could kill the entire female races of pure beauty appeared on his face.

Her heart actually stopped like a nanosecond. She had felt it, and thought that she had died and gone to heaven. And this was an angel, one of God's creations that he had sent down to whisk her away into eternity.

It really should be forbidden to look that good when he merely smirked.

"Will you do it?" His voice still lower than low.

"Anything." She whispered. It was like she had no control over her own body. Her mind was blank, empty and light, and her lips talked for their own.

This all was Sasuke's doing. She had the idea that Sasuke was her puppeteer player who had all her strings in the palm of his hands.

She was completely hypnotized, thrown into a dimension, a twilight zone that involved around Sasuke and Sasuke alone. He had the commands and she had to do every little thing of his bidding.

"Help me forget Karin…" He said slowly, his hands rising to take the thick, red glasses off of her face.

Only then he saw clearly that she had the most emerald eyes he had ever seen. And because of the pink hair they stood out more.

Something went through him, it was briefly, less than a second, a motion he couldn't decipher went through his body, ending up at his spine when he took in those eyes.

_Those eyes. They were actually…_

He mentally shrugged and blinked slowly, proceeding with his request.

"Help me." He told her softly.

She held her breath, waiting.

"Marry me."

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**A/N: Oh God this is my favorite chapter so far! You have like no idea how exciting I am. **

**So apparently there is some kind of SasuSaku things in here, oh yeah, more than that. He asked to freaking marry her! **

**Tell me the truth… were you guys inspecting that? Hmmm?**

**It wasn't so hard since I made Sasuke remember the whole conversation between him and Naruto, but still… he asked to marry her! Yaaaay! Go Sasuke! **

**Uuhm, as you guys noticed, Sasuke was soooo OOC and it's annoying me till no end, but I had to make him that way even if it was for this chapter. Believe me, after this he won't be all too OOC and more like we know him; cold and distant. **

**At the beginning of this chapter I told you guys there was a scene cut short. I don't think you noticed it because I rounded it off quite nicely -I find so myself- but I will tell what part it actually was. **

**It was the NaruHina part. **

**Let me tell you something, NaruHina are my second favorite pairing in Naruto, only I couldn't find inspiration for those two. I had a major writers block for that pairing. **

**While I kept on going like a train for Sasuke and Sakura, with them I just halted. Until, suddenly, that small part came in me, and I'm glad I could've put them in instead of cut them out. **

**Is it just me, or is it like I've switched the characters of Hinata and Sakura? LOL. **

**I don't know for you guys but I like Hinata this way, as you see she wasn't the toughest of the toughest, but she had some confidence to talk around Naruto. And the funny thing is I've let the blond fall for Hinata first instead of the other way around. Their conversation was 'flowing' , I thought, maybe it isn't but there was chemistry between them. I love it! Something Kishimoto-sama isn't showing right now… **

**Actually, I wasn't expecting to have this exact chapter on Naruto's birthday, but there you go… The newest hint of NaruHina in this very chapter. Aren't we all happy for them? I know I am, go Hinata give him a peck on the lips for his birthday… don't you go and faint now ok?**

**Before I forget… there's 2 small sentences I 'barrowed' from Princess Diaries 2, if you know which one then I'm happy for ya. **

**So, like always, tell me what you thought about it. **

**I wish I could send Straus and Cookies for you all! **

**Yay!**

**R & R**

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'_Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense.' - _**Mark Overby**

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_To Be Continued_

_Stay tuned for next time, Same Site, Same Story_

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	5. The Drops of The Wine

**A/N: Yaaaay, I'm back in town! And with a new chapter nonetheless! Yeah, I know that you guys don't give a shit about me and the only thing you guys love is the chapter but.. What the hell, without me you won't have a story to read at all!**

**So where did I left off last time? Oh yeah… Sasuke asked Sakura to marry her ladidaa… nothing much important. **

**So… let's move on because I don't have much to talk about… I hope you guys won't fall asleep in this chapter. LOL**

**Disclaimer:**** I ****do**** own **_**Naruto**_**… Uuhm… -Silence- uuh.. Look, there to a distraction. -Runs away- Nope, clearly I do not own anything, no **_**Naruto **_**and definitely no Sasuke. -Sigh- Nor any of the brands I mentioned in here.**

**P.S I rewrote this... hope it's better to read now.  
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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada _

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'_Truthful words are not beautiful; beautiful words are not truthful. Good words are not persuasive; persuasive words are not good.' - __**Lao Tzu**_

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…

……

Time froze completely.

…

……

Did…? Did he…?

…

……

Yes. He did.

"Y-you want me to w-what?"

Her eyes practically popped out of their sockets when Sasuke… kind of… well… proposed.

He said nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Only stared. Stared into the eyes that held surprise till her depths.

And he lowered, he lowered his head, coming closer and closer, inch by inch, second after second, the space between them became shorter and shorter.

And then, his lips brushed hers softly.

She gasped.

And he brushed them again. Pressing them against hers a teeny tiny bit harder, feeling her warmth on him.

His lips were soft, like the skin of a baby, and they moved, slowly, gently, _kissing_.

She was in too much of a shock to respond in any way.

He looked at her through his lashes, they weren't close and she knew that, as she looked right back, still kissing her. A snake like arm caught her middle, shoving her against him, letting her be as close as possible. Chest against chest.

She gasped again.

This time he took his opportunity and a tongue, wet and warm as hers, entered her mouth as she gasped. It touched hers with soft strokes here and there, as to lead her, let her follow him, as in asking permission to come out and play.

Her emerald orbs moving, trying to look in each eye of Sasuke, searching like a track hound to find a trace of what this means.

She only found emptiness.

Nothing.

His other free hand came to cup her face, getting her to move along with him. She was still unable to respond just like what seems hours ago. His tongue in her mouth tasted every corner, trying to reach as far as he could get, made slow circles with her tongue, still getting no response.

Sasuke softly squeezed her middle, and within the second she snapped back into reality.

Blinking once…

She was kissing _Sasuke!_

_She _was kissing Sasuke!

She was _kissing_ Sasuke!

She _is_ kissing Sasuke!

Blinking twice…

She realized that this was in fact no dream.

Something in her mind let her close her eyes, concentrating on Sasuke's organ in her mouth and his lips that were connected and moving with hers.

And she did, moving along with him, her tongue shyly came and touched his, softly, careful as if testing waters with the tip of her toe.

The Uchiha held in his smirk when he saw and felt that Sakura closed her eyes and responded, ever so slowly, to his kiss, he slightly cocked his head to the side and deepened their lip-lock.

This isn't that bad; she was clearly unprepared, and unschooled, like a rough diamond that yet had to be grind and polished. But… he liked it.

It was different than with Karin, with her it was rough and hard and wet and the game was purely who was the one who could invade each others mouth and go as deep as they possibly could.

But with her, with Sakura, it was different.

He heard a small, soft, shy yet evidently moan rip of the back of her throat.

She was enjoying this, and that was exactly why he kissed her in the first place, convincing her in his own Uchiha Sasuke like way.

And it usually works. He was sure it worked now too.

Taking one long, slow, last lick to savor her taste, he pulled back. The woman before him was flushed and panted heavily, taking huge amounts of oxygen in, her eyes still closed.

She obviously wasn't used getting kissed, probably never had, as Sasuke saw how quickly she needed air. And he was right, she had never been kissed in her life ever before. No guy wanted her, Sasuke was her very first.

The feeling though, of getting kissed was addicting, she wanted more. More flesh, more touches, more… everything.

"Marry me, Sakura." He repeated., his voice created a warm shiver that went over her spine that ended at her toes.

He knew she was going to say yes, he only needed to hear her say the words herself.

"I…"

She took another breath, opening her emerald eyes.

"I… I cant."

_What?_

Did she actually say no? Is she actually refusing him?

Didn't his kiss work?

This was the biggest insult Sasuke ever had in his life.

No woman, no woman at all, young or old, would refuse him at anything! And she was refusing to _marry_ him?

What the hell? Did pigs began to fly or what?

"I cant, because you don't love me." Her eyes were sad, she wanted to agree so much.

"I thought you would help me forget Karin." He said monotone; not showing in his voice that he was insulted, meaning angry, and needed her to forget that bitch.

"I will, but-"

"Marry me. And maybe I don't love you right now, I possibly can…"

Sakura looked down, noticing that he still held her glasses in his hand. She was too nervous to ask it back.

His hands, including the glasses, rested softly on her shoulders. She looked up in surprise, seeing him, once again, so close. He came only closer, his lips were going to touch hers again, and she knew it. This time she was prepared.

His cheek touched her cheek as his lips didn't touch hers, instead they touched her earlobe. She felt his breath fanning her ear and the back of her neck, warming it up there.

"Remember, Sakura," It took all her will power not to shudder and whimper at the way he said her name. "You still have to _repay_ me. Every drop of it."

He planted one little kiss there then retrieved from her ear. "Go back to the maids' room. Think about your… decision. Tomorrow I'm attending an important meeting in London, I'll be back over a week. And then, I want your answer." His words were spoken gently, as if not to scare or hurt her.

Sakura only nodded, turned around slowly and walked away in complete silence.

The only sound that was making was the TV, which was on the entire time.

"Sakura…"

She halted at the door, yet didn't turn and waited until he proceeded.

"Do not say a word to anybody about this." He asked softly, more like gently commanding her.

With a nod of her head she was ready to walk away when he called her again.

"Give me your word."

"I promise… Sasuke."

And she left him alone, the glasses still in his hand.

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura didn't know whether she wanted to jump of joy or cry her poor eyes out.

Sasuke wanted to marry her. And she would've agreed happily enough if it wasn't for the wrong reasons.

He should have asked her to marry her when he loved her; with his heart, with his being, with his soul and more than that, not to help him forget another woman.

In the other hand, she had nothing to complain. She was going to marry the man _she_ loved. She had her first kiss with the man _she_ loved. And there would be thousands and thousands of other women who want to be in _her_ shoes.

He chose _her_. Out of all the other beautiful, gorgeous, miss-Universe like women out there he chose _her._ The invisible, unattractive, shy and short woman.

She tossed and turned in her bed. Mr. Sandman wouldn't come soon enough to let her forget this for tonight. This all was eaten her away. She wished that she could tell Ino about it, ask her advice. But she gave her word, she wouldn't say a thing.

-

-

-

* * *

- **4 Days later - **

**

* * *

  
**

"Fugaku… have you seen my necklace?"

Mikoto asked as she searched high and low for that piece of jewelry.

"Hn. Which one?" Fugaku turned a page of newspaper he was reading.

They stayed in Sasuke's house for as long as he was visiting London.

"That one you gave me for valentine last year."

Fugaku looked over the newspaper to his wife.

"That was one expensive necklace. A Harry Winston if I remember correctly. Have you lost it?"

"Well, that's quite impossible since I've put it here just a couple of days ago. I haven't touched it since."

Fugaku found this rather strange. He knew that his wife is incredibly neat. They all were, it was running in the family, so how the hell did she lose something if she is sure that she hadn't touched it?

Unless…

"Unless it's stolen." Fugaku mumbled in himself.

"What's that?" Mikoto turned to her husband.

"Stolen." He stated. His hard, firm gaze settled on his shocking looking wife.

"Fugaku, why do you assume such thing? I maybe just displaced it and I have forgotten where. It is possib-"

"Since when?" He cut her short.

And she stayed quiet. Thinking about an answer.

Indeed, she never lost something. Maybe once when she was little but never since. And her husband knows that as the best. "There's a first time for everything."

"Not in this case and definitely not with you." He retorted.

It is weird, but not wanting to go into a discussion with him right now, she shrugged it off.

Then she would wear another necklace. She opened her jewelry box and…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

… screamed.

"What? What, what's wrong?" Fugaku jumped up, newspaper flying out of his hand onto the hard ground.

Mikoto pointed towards her jewelry box, pale and out of breath.

"What is it?"

She didn't answer, she was too busy with gasping for air.

He walked over to where she was pointing. It better not be some kind of bug that she was causing a scene off. Or else that woman really needed to get a life. His eyes landed on the object his wife was pointing to, and he didn't gasp, neither was all too surprised when he saw that the jewelry box was…

empty.

His mind raced, much faster than his wife's. Hers was frozen.

He looked through every draw and every box his wife possessed.

His speculations were confirmed.

All was empty.

All was gone.

All was… stolen.

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura turned underneath her sheets. It was early she thought, until she took the blanket from her face and saw the sun high in the sky.

She frowned, usually when she woke up, the sky would be a pale baby blue, some times there was a hint of pink and orange and she couldn't see the sun as it was still rising… but now; now the sun was shining on it's fullest like it's in the middle of the afternoon.

She rolled and grabbed her glasses, -that Joshua returned to her the morning that Sasuke left- from a night stand where she places it every evening.

A digital alarm clock threw her the time in her face.

'_I'm freaking late!'_

She was a quarter past late.

A servant of the house was supposed to stand up early in the morning and make the house ready before anyone wakens.

Take the kitchen servants Mella and Hotan, the chef and his assistant, has to have breakfast ready and made by the time the guest come to enjoy their early meal.

Usually they have to be at the house before 6 o'clock.

But a maid/butler has to be ready something a like of 7 am. One has to begin with their chores at that time. It's a huge house with a lot of things the do every single day.

And it was now 12:27 pm.

She raised herself from the bed, all the other beds in the room empty and made.

Two other maids, Marina and she herself had taken the nightshift.

Sakura would always take the nightshift. She basically lived in the Uchiha Mansion. Her own house was small, even though she lived in Miami it was cold, had no warm water and barely had electricity.

She hated it there, it smelled, mice and other little gross animals were running around like they owned the place.

That's why she would always take the nightshift. People like Ino and even Marina had a cozy, warm -bigger- house to live in. And had families who loved them.

She, on the contrary, really had nothing and nobody.

Shrugging those depressing thoughts aside, she made room in her head for the following questions;

How come she overslept? Since she always set her alarm clock on the dot.

Even if she forgot, how come did nobody woke her up?

Where was Ino? Wasn't she missing her?

What about the other maids? Why didn't they wake her?

Well… she had answer for a few of them.

The reason why she overslept and could've forget her set her alarm was because she was still thinking about Sasuke and his… 'proposal'.

And there was one maid Sakura knew that would never wake her up. And that was Marina.

She was evil and cruel enough to let her just sleep like that, therefore, later, she would get in trouble because she overslept, and Marina would enjoy it all and laugh in her face.

Like always.

Sakura stood up, quickly changing her clothes then went to find another maid. She was hoping to find Ino.

But as she walked through the hallways of the Uchiha Mansion, she noticed that there was no one.

Not one singly living soul.

No one was cleaning.

No one was walking around.

Absolutely nobody.

Until suddenly:

"Miss Haruno." Somebody had called from afar behind her.

The called woman turned around, seeing Hanika Joshua stand there.

His facial expression was…

Angry?

She cannot remember, as long as she worked here, Joshua glare at her. Or at anybody else for that matter.

"Y-yes?"

He didn't reply and only gestured for her to come.

Her legs slightly began to tremble. Why did she have the feeling that this was going to be a very bad day? She followed him, he didn't even spare her another glance as he brought her to the Little Library, all the way to the back of the mansion.

They didn't use this library much. Only the other one the Grand Library. That he led her there was another thing she could add to the list of 'more strange things today'.

When she entered, and all heads turned her way. She saw that every servant of Uchiha household was there. Standing all neatly in a row, the servants split into their groups. Maids with the maids, butlers with the butlers, etc.

How they were standing reminded Sakura of a group of following soldiers.

And there, standing before them with their faces grim, were the generals.

Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha.

Even Mikoto was looking quite pale and was scowling. It wasn't very strange to see her with an expression like that but it simply didn't suit her. She was a woman who always needs to have a smile on her lips, only then does the whole room glow.

"Will you take your place at which group you belong?" Fagaku said straight to her. He maybe meant to ask it but it came out like a heartless command.

It was idiotic though. Why he didn't simply say to go stand along with the maids? Could've been just as easy.

She slightly hung her head, more to ignore all the eyes on her than afraid for his tone. When she stood with the other maids, and didn't see Ino amongst them, Fugaku began.

"This morning when my wife went to put on some of her jewelry, they seem not to be on the same place as she has left them."

A short silence.

"Meaning that they are moved to another location they are not suppose to be. And we know that one of you did it. Of course, I also know that the real thief won't confess now when I ask, or else you have to be very stupid. So… I'm offering this; half a million dollars for the one who finds my wife's jewelry and can point out who stole them."

Fugaku was smart, and sure, the jewelry of Mikoto can easily passed that sum of money but that didn't mean that another who has eyes didn't see them.

People will do _anything_, but absolutely _everything_ for money.

There was a silence amongst thieves and Fugaku's orbs went over everyone in the room. Eyes like an eagle, looking, calculating, who was nervous, scared or was acting suspicious.

But nothing.

"Fine." He said after several minutes of silence. "I assume that because of the number of people nobody will come forward. My offer still stands till tonight, if I ever find out who it was after today then… well let me say that you won't even be safe at the gates of hell."

Who could have been out of their right mind to steal Mikoto's jewelry?

That wasn't Sakura's first priority right now though, she couldn't find Ino anywhere. Why was it giving her more of a bad feeling than she already had today?

They were dismissed and Sakura went to clean up the laundry room. All by herself. She was already way behind her working schedule so she worked like a train.

"Miss Haruno Sakura?"

Some random male butler called behind her.

"Y-yeah?"

"Could you follow me please?" He asked politely but his face stoic of all.

She did. They ended up at the maids room.

"Which bed's yours?"

The pink haired woman with the red thick glasses pointed towards the bed in the left corner.

The butler only nodded then left her standing there. "Wait here."

Sakura raised a confused brow. _'What's going on?' _

The agitated feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach grew more. This felt all wrong, so, so wrong.

When he came back five minutes later, Hanika Joshua, Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha were with him.

Suddenly Sakura's blood had run cold in her body. Why were they here? They weren't here for the thing she think they were, were they?

The dark coal emotionless eyes of Uchiha Fugaku glared intensely to her.

"Who is this?" He growled to the head butler with a jerk towards the frightened looking maid before him.

"Haruno Sakura, sir. She's been a maid in Uchiha's household for two years now." Joshua answered back blankly.

Fugaku scoffed, but nodded. "Hn." His hard intimidating gaze settling back on her. "You, Haruno, did you or did you not stole my wife's jewelry?"

Sakura blinked.

Was he really asking if _she_ had stolen Mikoto's jewelry? She of all people? She didn't do a thing, why would he ask her that?

"W-what? N-no, I w-would never."

"My sources says different." Fugaku didn't miss a heartbeat in replying.

"W-wha-"

"Would you like to open that drawer?" Hanika Joshua interrupted her and pointed to the small nightstand where she always put her glasses on.

Sakura was confused as hell. Why would they think that she had stolen them? She never had stolen anything! Not even a pack of gum when she was little.

Stealing is wrong, therefore she would never do it.

She got nothing to hide so she went to open the drawer that Joshua not asked her, but rather demanded her to do it.

It was like she was a pirate, opening a chest that contained silver and gold, because well… that's what she saw, actually, what they all saw when she opened her drawer.

"Oh my God!" She breathed out in a gasp, immediately turning towards the others. "I-I didn't do this!"

"No?" Fugaku's glare intensified. "Then explain to us how come all those jewelry are in _your_ drawer?"

"I don't know, but I swear, I didn't do anything! I didn't steal anything!"

"And yet, they were in your fucking drawer!" Fugaku snapped, shouting.

Mikoto said nothing, a mixture of sorrow, disbelief and anger on her features.

She had seen this maid before, every time when she saw her it kept astonishing her that somebody on this world has pink hair. She found it quite rare, exquisite, and truth to be told she found it rather beautiful. This woman before her was always quiet and shy. She was the first woman she knew who didn't fawn over her son, didn't kiss the ground he walked on, praised him like some god and didn't act all fan girl like around him. Maybe because she was so shy and quiet she didn't do all of the above things.

Mikoto did know though that she had a crush on Sasuke, she had noticed that since the day they had that so called 'meeting' that morning at the breakfast table.

But she never would've thought that this woman turned out to be a lying thief! One who was still lying in their faces nonetheless! She claims that she didn't do a thing while they could clearly see that she had the jewelry between her belongings.

"We can see that you have done it, our sources has pointed you out and they were right." Joshua told her, his voice strangled like he wanted to yell at her but held himself in.

"Please, I didn't do-"

"Enough!" Fugaku raised his hand, as well as his voice, showing to her that she should stop talking. "You are, as of now, fired as maid of this household. Pack your things and remove yourself from this ground ASAP."

"No, y-you have to believe me! I-"

"Should be lucky that I didn't sue your ass and let the police throw you in jail for the rest of your days." Fugaku growled an insult her way, took his wife, his hand on her lower back, and left.

Hanika Joshua collected all the jewelry and followed them with a scoff.

She blinked, her knees losing their strength, her whole body lost its strength, as she fell to the ground. There was only one thing she could do right now, and that was to cry.

Could her life go possibly more wrong?

Nobody was here for her. Nobody that could help her, comfort her, telling her that it will be ok.

Not even Ino was here this time.

She had no other friend who could be with her, no family, and now, no job. She had nothing. Nobody at all.

What did she ever do to deserve this? She always was kind and sweet, loved to help people, never thought or said anything bad of anyone, never cursed, prayed every night, went to church time to time and even paid taxes.

Why? Why did this happened to her? Have she done anything bad in her past life? Because this wasn't fair! Life for Haruno Sakura wasn't fair at all.

Somebody up there really must hate her guts.

-

-

-

"I appreciate it that you told us the real thief, Marina."

"Oh, Mr. Uchiha, it was my duty. I couldn't sleep with the guilt knowing that there in the same room was a thief, somebody that had stolen every jewelry of Mrs. Uchiha, I had to."

"Hn. I understand. Of course I will reward you with the money I mentioned this afternoon. Now that you own half million dollars, does that mean that you quit this job permanently?"

"No, no. Please, I have worked here with many joy and pleasure all those nine years, I'm loyal and comfortable here, I wouldn't want to leave even if you paid me a million more."

Of course she still had one goal that needed to be fulfilled.

Getting Sasuke to be hers.

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura was busy with packing her things out of the maids room, ready to leave this place, her eyes watery, red and puffy. She sniffed and trembled of crying, still trying to hold in her sobs.

"Haruno."

A male behind her called her. Hanika Joshua was scowling down upon her, so much anger visible in his eyes.

Sakura was incapable in replying, so all she did was stare in silence to him.

"Telephone for you."

Her brow furrowed. A telephone? She never ever had a telephone call at the Uchiha mansion of anybody before.

That was really strange.

She nodded and Joshua pointed out to get the nearest telephone.

She steadied her voice, giving it strength and breath through her lungs. Making sure that the caller couldn't hear that she had been crying.

"Hello?" Victory had never felt so sour. She succeeded to sound normal, only she didn't even wanted to.

"_Sakura…_" That voice, the way he said her name, that wanting shivering way that could make you melt like jelly, could only belong to one person in the entire world.

"Sasuke…" She replied softly, blinking away a tear.

She told herself that she wouldn't let this all get to her while she talked to Sasuke. So she tried to forget her problem beforehand and continued with something more cheery. "How's London? I've heard that England has quite rainy day-"

"_Have you decided yet?_" He cut her off, going straight to his point.

Typical Sasuke.

"Yes, I have."

"_What is it?_" His tone became softer then. Less rough and more low.

"Listen Sasuke, t-today has been an awkward day."

He stayed quiet on the other side of the line, meaning that he was listing and she should proceed with telling.

"S-someone has s-stolen your mother's jewelry. And somehow they blamed me, they have put all the jewelry in m-my drawer and… y-your parents think that I…-that I have done it." She was on the brick of crying again, her voice has faltered from the steady tone she had a minute ago. "I'm fired, Sasuke. I'm banished from this house a-and your father doesn't wants to see me. E-ever."

He stayed silent.

Sakura wished she could see his expression. But knowing Sasuke there wouldn't even be one.

"_Did you do it?_" His voice was serious. Deadly serious, almost angry.

"No, Sasuke." She whispered. "I didn't. I swear on my heart, life, body and soul."

"_If I find out that you did it, then_-"

It was her that interrupted him this time. "You have to believe me, Sasuke." Her tone went low again. "I didn't do anything."

"_Then what is your decision? Are you going to marry me?_" He went back to the subject he called her for.

"Your father doesn't want to see me."

"_Then return back as my wife. He has nothing to say if we're married._"

"… Then… ok. I'll help you Sasuke. I'll marry you. But… when were you planning to get married?"

"_This Saturday._" He stated casually, like they were talking about nothing important.

"W-what? This Saturday? T-that's over 3 days! I can't-"

"_Everything is already arranged, Sakura. You've agreed to help me. And I want it as soon as possible._"

"B-but…"

"_Meet me at the entrance of the boarding gates at MIA Saturday at one o'clock on dot. We'll be taken that first flight to Las Vegas._"

Las Vegas? She was getting married in Las Vegas?

That was the place where every drunk, wrong marriages happens. Where all couples would elope to get married.

Well, she kind of belonged in that category.

She didn't want to get hitched in Las Vegas, but she couldn't back out now. Not after she gave her word. Besides, everything was already arranged.

Wait a minute…

Did he say that everything was _already_ arranged while she still had to give her ok yet?

He was so sure, so full of himself, this was a side of him she couldn't stand. Making arrangements when she didn't even agreed.

She kept those thoughts to herself, it was better if she did. "D-do I need to bring any other-"

"_You only have to bring the necessaries along, nothing more is needed._"

She nodded even though he couldn't see her.

"Ok." She said softly.

His voice was cold, without any emotion in it whatsoever. "_Till Saturday._"

"Till Satur-"

But he already hung up the phone. The line was broken off and she stood there sad with the telephone still at her ear.

-

-

-

* * *

**- One day later - **

**

* * *

  
**

_Knock, knock, knock._

There was somebody at Sakura's door. She had cried herself on some old leather couch she used for both a bed and couch. Her house wasn't that big enough for a bed of its own. She had no bedroom, only a small bathroom, a kitchen that was installed into the living room.

She stood up and opened the door. The first thing she saw was sad baby blue eyes.

"Ino." She whispered, her voice hoarse and hurting from all that crying and sobbing.

"Sakura, cupcake, I heard what happened. I didn't believe one word of it. Not one."

Sakura's flushed face didn't make a move to reply, only her body went into Ino to get a hug. The blond responded immediately, embracing her. She began to cry once again, in her shoulder. "It's ok, Sakura sweetie. It's ok."

"N-no… ip's nob! My liphe ish a mesh!" She spoke, her voice muffled by Ino's clothes.

"One day all will be alright. Don't worry, hang on and have hope."

Sakura took her head from Ino's shoulder, sniffed her nose and dried her eyes. She wasn't wearing her glasses since she had to take it off to wiped her tears from her face.

"Ino, I hoped twenty-one years to let my life get a little better. Just a little for twenty-one years! So far, nothing good has ever happened to me!"

She sniffed again. "Where were you yesterday?"

"Something awful had come up with my father and mother. I couldn't go, my sister had to work real hard, and since nobody could stay with them, I volunteered to stay. I'm sorry I wasn't there, it must've been horrible."

"It was! Everybody was angry with me, everybody blamed me! I didn't do a thing, I would never steal. Now I don't have a job and if I don't find one very soon I will lose everything. Starting with this house, and if I lose that then-"

"Ssh, Sakura, don't think that way."

"But I must. This is reality Ino, I have to think about this, I have take measures and quick or else everything what I mentioned above will happen. And fast." She blinked some tears away. "And that's not all, I want to ask you advice of something very badly."

Ino blinked. "What is it?"

"That's the problem, I can't tell you. I gave my word not to tell anyone."

Ino frowned, but she knew better, if Sakura said that she gave her word then that meant that she will not speak. She always keeps her word.

"All I can tell you now, is that it will happen Saturday. After that… I don't think I would have to tell you."

"Why not?"

"You'll see."

Ino was curious as hell what _'it'_ may be, and how she would see after Saturday.

-

-

-

* * *

**- Two days later - **

**

* * *

  
**

"Thank you for flying with U.S Airlines. I hope you enjoy your staying and that you had a comfortable flight. Thank you."

Sakura glanced to Sasuke for the millionth time that day. And he had set his eyes on her maybe… 3 times?

When she arrived at Miami International Airport, on the place Sasuke told her to meet, right on time, she found him already standing there. His face stoic, clad in simple clothes, jeans with a black dress shirt, no suit or anything formal like that. He had a small suitcase at his side, one the size of a huge laptop. When she had neared him, he had only nodded and walked off. She clearly had to follow him.

The only thing he said to her that day so far is; "Give me your passport…" That's it. Not one single word after that.

When they walked out of McCarran International Airport, there was a black limousine waiting for them. When Sasuke said that everything was arranged, then he meant that every little thing was set.

Las Vegas was hot during the day, way more hotter than in Miami, that's why when she stepped into the limousine she felt relief that the air-conditioning was on. Sasuke took the farthest seat away from her, gazing out of the tinted window with a glass of scotch in his hand.

Not even half a hour later, they arrived at Bellagio Hotel where Sasuke checked them in, -Sakura gasped at how expensive it all looks- and a bellboy brought them to the bridal suite.

This 'room' was bigger than her whole house, and she looked in awe around. This was amazing, the view on Las Vegas and the fountain was more than magical and everything was exquisite and extravaganza.

The bed alone in the bedroom was huge and with a smile, she jumped on it like a kid. When she stopped giggling, taking in the smell of super freshly laundry, she turned back to see Sasuke staring at her from the doorway.

The smile vanished from her face and she pushed her glasses back up.

"Sorry." She mumbled, looking away.

His face kept impassive and stoic. "You can have whatever you want here. Only do not leave this room. I'll return over two hours."

"Wait!"

He halted.

"Where are you going?"

He didn't turn to look at her. His back stayed straight, the shirt did little to hide every well trained, hard muscles.

"Arranging the last things for our… wedding."

She kept quiet.

He said nothing after that, lingering one more second there, checking if she had anything more to say, then left the suite.

Sakura sighed.

-

-

-

* * *

**- 3 hours later - **

**

* * *

  
**

Sakura wondered why it wasn't dark yet, until she remembered that Las Vegas and Miami had different time zones.

She was bored as hell, there was nothing more she could do within the suite that she already didn't. She had ordered food several times, watched some TV on that huge flat screen, looked out of their balcony over Las Vegas, and even had taken a dip into the Jacuzzi.

It's quite dull if you're in an amazing city like Las Vegas, but you're stuck in your luxurious hotel suite.

Until suddenly, the door of the room opened and Sasuke came in. He had a white dress in his left hand and a box in his right hand.

"Here." He handed Sakura the two objects.

The white dress was breathtakingly beautiful. She realized that this amazingly Cinderella-like white dress was the dress she was going to marry in. When she looked upon the box, she saw the name; _Jimmy Choo_ printed on it with silver letters.

She opened the box and looked at the most mesmerizing shoes she had ever seen. They were white of color with little diamonds on it everywhere except on the 4 inch heel.

"Wow."

She thought that she had to clean her glasses to see if this all was real.

"Make yourself ready. We're going to the chapel over an hour." He turned towards the door again where he just came in from and left her once again.

Sakura was a bit sad; he was not supposed to see wedding dress before the actual wedding.

Yet, you could barely call it one. The hour went by like a minute, but she made it in time.

The dress and the shoes were fit for her like a second skin. She wondered though, how he knew her size.

She bitterly smiled upon looking at her reflection at the mirror. She never would've thought that marrying Uchiha Sasuke would feel so… _wrong._

She had took her glasses off, her vision was more blurry now but like hell she was going to marry with that thing on.

Her pink hair was now tied in a bun instead of a braid.

When she came out of the bedroom, she saw that Sasuke was already there.

He turned to face her when she came out; his gaze roamed over her form from the tip of her head till the ground. He couldn't see her feet as they were hidden below the white dress. His eyes stayed longer on her than was necessary but said nothing. Only beckoned her to come closer.

She obeyed and he saw those green eyes of her again, so close and so clearly. They were stunning him for the second time as he stared in them. The emerald orbs were sad, he could clearly see the doubts in them, in those eyes, those remarkable eyes.

_He still found them…_

"I-I'm not sure if w-we should d-do this, Sasuke."

He kept gazing on those green orbs, while looking, he slowly leaned forward.

He did it without thinking, it actually happened by itself. He bend towards her, it was an act that he couldn't control, and before he knew it, his lips were on hers.

Kissing her once, softly, twice, gently, thrice, slowly, without entering her mouth.

When she closed her eyes to enjoy the feel of his lips, their kiss, he slightly pulled away.

He did not know what went through him that made him want to kiss her. He wasn't counting on the fact that he was going to kiss her again. But even so, his mind thought quickly for a excuse of their little lip-lock.

Merely for convincing her, he told himself. Only for that, nothing more.

Just a short space was between them, they weren't connected like they were seconds ago, only their noses touched once or twice. She felt his warm, minty breath on her face every time he exhaled.

"Remember," His voice was low, not even breaking contact with those green eyes. "_The drops of the wine_."

Sakura realized that she had no way out. She was trapped in a very tangled web where she can't break free of in any way.

She reluctantly nodded once. He was right, she still had to repay every drop.

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* * *

The chapel they were going to marry in was named; 'The Cherry of Love' and Sakura would've laughed out loud if she wasn't feeling this bad.

She couldn't quite imagine Sasuke ever saying to people where he married, or else that would be very hilarious.

Inside the chapel it looked quite chic, not what you usually would see in movies, so Sakura was kind of surprised. The main color in here where white, gold and silver, exactly the colors that the most weddings should have. The chapel was empty except for them.

Sakura had not paid attention, but before she knew it, she, Sasuke, and the so-called priest were at the alter.

The priest was a young fellow, who looks nothing like a priest, but he showed them his diploma that he was officially one.

The events went by so quickly, she wasn't sure if it all happened.

The moment came that the priest asked them if they took each other as husband and wife, both said 'I do' and next came the most surprising thing that Sakura didn't even think about.

They were slipping each other a ring.

She stared at it, that was, -she suspected- of pure gold.

The only thing the ring stand for was evidence that this marriage was for in fact real. Not as amazing or beautiful or _willingly_ like all the other marriages, but a marriage nonetheless.

She was brought back from her somber thoughts when the priest asked out loud, into the empty chapel, if anyone had an objection for them to marry. She wished that she could have a say in this.

A minute later did the young man who called himself a priest, come with two papers they both had to sign. And then he pronounced them, officially, husband and wife.

That was it, he didn't added the 'You may kiss the bride', she was secretly hoping for, but it was clear that it was Sasuke's arrangements not to.

It was done, from this moment on she would be _Uchiha _Sakura.

No longer Haruno.

They returned to the hotel in silence, Sasuke said nothing as well as Sakura. She had nothing that could be said.

When they reached the bridal suite's door, Sakura couldn't normally step in, no, Sasuke had done the most unexpected thing. He had picked her up, lifted her and carried her… bridal style.

"W-whoa! S-Sasuke, w-what are you doing?"

He ignored her, saying nothing at all and held his gaze forward, not looking at her once, and stepped into the suite, carrying her all the way to the bedroom to put her gently down on the king-sized bed.

"To make it official…" He voice as well as his eyes, emotionless.

…?

Putting your freshly new wife on a bed is making it official?

Her emerald orbs followed how he pulled off his tie and black jacket, leaving him in a white shirt and black trousers beneath, he turned away from her.

"I'll be right back" He was already heading for the door.

"Wait. Where are you going?" She asked shyly.

He stopped in his tracks. But did not look back at her. "Down at the bar." And not even a second later, she heard the door close.

She saw Sasuke's retrieving back a lot more then his front lately.

How could he leave her alone? This was their wedding night. This was the one night you have to spent… you know… together.

But all he did was left her. All alone!

They may be married now and she didn't even know if he would ever love her, but that didn't mean he had to abandon her like that.

Especially on their wedding night.

She sighed, remembering that she was here for solely one purpose; and that was to help him forget about another woman.

But how could she do that? How could she help him if he was away all the time? How could she help him if he went away from her after every minute or two? How?

She can't. Not like this anyway.

Tonight, for example, was a perfect way to help him, to stay with him. He didn't have to… sleep with her.

…

Right?

…

The point is, that she has to be with him, to help him. And he wasn't supposed to leave her like this.

Sakura held in her upcoming tears. She was not going to cry for him, not now. The only thing she could do right now is to get out of her dress, -alone- take another bad, -alone- climb into this ultra soft bed, -alone- try to get some sleep, -alone- and wait for Sasuke. All alone.

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**- That same morning, 6:54 am, Bridal Suite, Las Vegas - **

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Sasuke stumbled in the suite, almost tripping and landing on his face. He silently thanked himself that he was still clinging to the door or else he would've kissed the floor.

He walked his way, -more dragged himself- towards the bedroom. He didn't see the small side table in his way, as his vision was not very far from hazy and he fell against it. The table tumbled to the ground just as the vase that was standing on it, breaking into hundreds of pieces.

He cursed louder than he intended and tried, without success, to heave himself up.

Sakura who slept in the master bedroom just close, was startled awake by the sudden noise of broken glass. She swung her legs from the bed, put on a white fluffy robe from the hotel, and went to check who it was.

Of course it couldn't be no more else than…

"Sasuke!" She gasped, just about to run over him when she noticed the broken glass on the ground. She couldn't go to him now, she was bare feet. She turned back into the room and slipped her slender feet in some hotel slippers, then went to back to him.

She came, to see Sasuke, who was all stumbling and disorientated, and tripped over his own feet. There was something wrong. This was unlike Sasuke. He would never do such clumsy moves.

Her hues wandered over his face, his eyes were bloodshot and heavy bags were below them, his lips were still wet of some liquid, and it was only when she was close enough she immediately knew of what.

He smelled heavily of alcohol.

He probably had been drinking the entire night non-stop, and is now drunk as hell.

"Sasuke! Oh God… Sasuke, are you alright?" Her features had worry and concern all over.

By the look of his half asleep face it seems like the words didn't register in his alcohol filled mind at all.

"Phakurah…" He was so drunk, he couldn't even articulate right.

"Sasuke, come here… lie down." She leaded him on the bed were she just woke from.

He lied diagonal on the bed, his feet dangling from it.

"Sasuke, why did you stay at the bar all night?" She was busy with pulling his shoes off for him.

"To… too… porget Kharien…" His voice slurred more then she had ever heard somebody slur.

No wonder, he's been drinking from the moment they arrived in Las Vegas.

And he had Karin in his mind all along? That's why he kept drinking?

"Sasuke, you don't need alcohol to forget her… that's why I married you." She said softly.

She got no response, only silence.

It was only then that she saw that Sasuke… had fallen asleep.

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It was already 6 pm when Sakura heard muffled sounds come from the bedroom. Sasuke must be awake. As soon as her eyes had set on him, she realized that he was far from feeling well right now.

His skin was like it had lost all its normal color, the bags below his eyes were less visible, but still there. He plainly looked like shit.

She could bet he felt that way too.

His dark, overtired eyes looked straight at her when he heard her coming, and he seemed so angry. But it probably was because of the headache she knew he 100 percent has.

"H-how are you feeling?" Sakura spoke as loud as a mouse.

He said nothing, thinking it was a stupid question since everybody knows how it must feel after you wake up from an evening being completely drunk.

Sakura swallowed when she saw the frown in his face, but made herself sure that he wouldn't do anything to her. So, picking up all her courage, she walked over him and showed him a glass with bubbly water.

"Here, drink it." She stated.

Sasuke eyed the glass, his mind not exactly going like a train right now. But, he took the glass anyway. He took a sip, and regretted it as he instantly wanted to puke, but he forced himself to drink it. The liquid will cease the headache.

He handed her the empty glass back in silence and had the intentions of turning away when he caught a glimpse of something shiny on her left hand.

It was her ring… her wedding ring.

His glance shot up to her eyes, and found himself lucky that she wasn't wearing her glasses, or else he couldn't see that she had orbs like that.

_They were…_

An indescribable feeling coursed through him, he didn't know what it was, or where it came from and assumed that it was the hangover's doing.

But still… it was strange.

Maybe if his mind was clear, and if he wasn't in such a foul mood he would've known what the significance of that 'feeling' was, only he wasn't so he shrugged it off.

His mind returned to the present by her voice that was as quiet as it was serene when she spoke.

"Sasuke, what're you planning-"

He broke her off, he already knew what she was going to ask. "Tomorrow we'll be returning home." He didn't mean to grunt at her but everything on his body was confusing and hurting him now.

"What about your fath-"

"Leave him to me."

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- **Miami - **

_Bam, bam, Ding-dong, bam, bam, ding-dong, ding-dong._

One of the butlers hastens to open the front door to see who was creating all that noise.

"Ohayo, butler! Where is the bastard?"A grin was flashed towards the butler as the tall blond man walked right in.

"I'm afraid that Mr. Uchiha is not here now, he hadn't been for two days." The butler said to him with a light scowl. He would've glared at him, but he must be polite and show respect at all times. This was the most unmannered and unsophisticated man he had ever seen. And he dares to call himself an aristocrat?

"Oh, that's strange," The blond said, a smile still on his lips. "He called me earlier today and told me that I had to come here at four o'clock." Naruto flicked his left wrist and stared at his watch.

Yup, he was on time, as the clock showed him 3:59.

Another knock came from the door, the butler evenly opened it.

Itachi's impassive and bored look was the first thing the blond male saw when the butler had fully opened the door. Itachi looked up. "Uzumaki… Naruto." The name was dropped slowly.

"Wow Itachi, you don't have to growl my name like that. Damn!"

Itachi shot him a smirk. He was used to people like Naruto, because he too had a friend just like that, Kisame. Exactly the same only less… hyper.

"Why are you here, brother-of-the-bastard?"

Itachi fought the urge to roll his eyes. "That so called 'bastard' as you name him, has called upon me and told me to see him here."

"Oh, honey, you too?" Mikoto entered the Main Entrance Hall, Fugaku following behind her with a slight scowl on his face.

Itachi and Naruto whipped their glances towards the couple.

"Mother," The eldest son of them said when Mikoto brought herself to give him a hug.

"Hn. I see that Sasuke also called his older brother and… the other." Fugaku's eyes shifted from Itachi to Naruto.

"Father, 'the other' has a name." Itachi retorted.

One could say that Itachi was standing up for Naruto, but that wasn't exactly the case. Fugaku had treated Kisame the same way, like he was a poor, dirty imbecile, which was a very big insult. He hated his father for that and he was doing the same with Naruto now. And with Naruto it was actually worse. He had no right, Naruto was far from poor and besides that, Naruto's father had worked with him as well, they were friends. Best friends. He, of all people, should respect Naruto, as he is the one and only son of Namikaze Minato who is the spitting image of him. So, he had no right of insulting him at all.

Fugaku crossed his arms and dared to roll his eyes.

"You guys, please, stop. Sasuke can come in any moments now." Mikoto shot them a warning for them to knock it out.

Itachi decided that he let this issue go, so he moved on to another subject. "Why did Sasuke call all of us?"

His mother gave him a shrug with a jerk of her shoulders unknowingly. "Beats me."

One of Sasuke's limo's arrived, so the butler faked a cough to get the attention of the four people in the Main Hall.

"May I pronounce the arrival of; Mr. Uchiha Sasuke." The butler opened the door and a very pale looking Sasuke was revealed.

Mikoto already charmed that angelic smile of hers. "Sas-" But halted in her talking, and the smile was wiped from her face as confusing took over her features.

"What the hell is _she_ doing here?" Fugaku growled as soon as he saw the four-eyed, short, pink haired woman at Sasuke's side.

The two stood at the front door of the Uchiha mansion. Unlike Karin's introduction, Sasuke was not smirking, embracing her or showing affection.

No.

Now, Sasuke was just standing there like he was shooting roots, looking around the place like this wasn't important at all, like this was not his problem and as if he came home like he always did.

"Teme, who is she?!" Naruto questioned right after Fugaku.

Sasuke's dark, bored looking orbs flew to his best friend. He talked toneless. Like he was speaking against his will. "This is why I called you all, I am going to inform you of what my purpose is. This woman is in fact-"

"Bullshit! She was the one who stole Mikoto's jewelry. She's a liar and a thief! I don't know why you brought that criminal back here, because she's-"

"-My wife." Sasuke continued, after his father's little interruption.

The last thing Mikoto saw was Fugaku's jaw dropping to the floor in a shockingly way before her world went dark and her body went limp.

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**A/N: Ai, ai, ai, I am really sorry but I've got to cut it here. -Sigh- I know, this was terribly boring, but as I told y'all I'm creating this whole character development and I just don't want to cut all that.**

**Yeah, but what happened in here? Hmm, let's see, Sasuke asked Sakura to marry, we saw lies and cheats, our fav couple married without any romance whatsoever, we saw a drunk Sasuke, some Itachi Naruto bonding, and mothers fainting.**

**I found that cool, :P lol. **

**Anyway, juicy stuff will be coming, don't worry, lots of drama, betrayal, cheats, jealousy and of course… love! Important, Love. **

**But if you please, review. Then I would be the happiest girl alive. **

**I wish I could sent free brownies and apple-pie to you all. **

**R & R**

**Yay.**

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'_Hatred is blind, as well as love.' - _**Oscar Wilde **

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_To Be Continued_

_Stay tuned for next time, Same Site, Same Story _

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	6. Realization

**A/N: Ano… you enjoyed that, didn't you? Poor Mikoto fainting. I feel terrible, but I feel much, much worse for Sakura, as she still has to go through trouble. **

**Ah, I want to thank everybody who reviewed for me. -Sniff- You all are so kind and that's why there will be a special part dedicated to you guys who left me a comment. I love you all. **

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own **_**Naruto**_**, which was intended. You think Kisimoto-sama thought this by himself? Absolutely not! I whispered it in his ear once when he slept and the next day he decided to begin at the project **_**Naruto**_**. I didn't want to claim the series because I can't stand the popularities and interviews and money and love notes and fan art and adoration… So I left it to him… And I do not own any of the mentioned brands either…**

**I redid this chapter...  
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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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'_The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. Its source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who cannot longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. As to why his eyes are closed.'__** -**_** Albert Einstein.**

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"Look what the fuck you did with that… that bitch!" Fugaku pointed an accusing finger from Sakura to the now unconscious Mikoto.

Itachi and Fugaku rushed to the woman lying on the ground.

"Mother!" Her eldest son called. She neither tossed nor turned.

"Oh God!" Sakura gasped, clasping her hands before her mouth.

"You can say that right!" Fugaku shot her a death glare.

Out of intimidating fear she took a trembling step back. Getting a glare your way from an Uchiha is everything but pleasant.

Itachi lifted his mother easily in his arms, bringing her to the living area where he lay her down on the huge cough_._

Three maids and a butler came running their way.

Ino and Marina were one of them.

Marina frowned when she saw the glass-wearer with the Uchihas. What the hell was she doing in the mansion anyway? She thought that she was banished from here for good. Ino, on the contrary of Marina, gasped when she saw Sakura's wide, scared eyes. What was going on? What was she doing here? Why was Sakura with them and why was Mrs. Uchiha unconscious?

"Someone bring some water!" Itachi yelled out and within the second, someone already had brought what he requested.

Mikoto stirred after a minute or two. Two very silent, wracking minutes and her eyelids slowly flittered open. "Wha… What happened?" She lifted the upper half of her body from the couch, blinking.

"Here…" Itachi gave her the water.

She took it and sipped. "I thought that Sasuke said that he had-" She halted in her sentence upon seeing Sakura standing between her son and Naruto.

"Oh my God, it's true!" Mikoto eyes widen again in pure horror.

Fugaku snapped his head back to Sasuke and the other woman. "This is your fault!" He sneered at her.

Ino and Marina still couldn't comprehend nothing of this all. What was the meaning of this? What is happening?

"Sasuke," Fugaku shifted his eyes towards his son. "You cannot be serious about this. It's impossible that she is your wife!"

"_Whaaaaat_?!" Both Ino and Marina screamed in unison.

Everybody looked over to the two maids.

"What? She's his _what_?" Marina kept yelling.

"My wife." Sasuke answered calmly.

Ino blinked, not able not grasp all this, she was so shocked that she even forgot her name for a second there. _S-Sakura is his wife?_

The platinum blond looked to her best friend, asking with her baby blue eyes if this was true, but Sakura wouldn't meet her gaze, instead she kept staring at the floor.

Ino would not believe this. She would absolutely not. She couldn't be married with Uchiha Sasuke! Or else she was the first to know!

Wouldn't she?

Clearly not, as this came as a surprise for her as for everybody. Sakura, her best friend, didn't tell her that she was going to marry Sasuke.

"No way. You're going to cancel this marriage immediately." Fugaku growled to Sasuke.

"Definitely not. You have stopped making decisions of my life from the moment I turned eighteen, and you're not going to begin again seven years later."

"And that's why you thought it's wisely to marry her?! That maid! That filthy servant! Of all the wrong things you've done in your life, this is de worst!"

"What wrong things? I have never done anything wrong in my entire life. You only disapproved of everything if that hadn't something to do with Itachi or were profit for you or the company." Sasuke calmed down a second later. "You have no say in this. Not anymore. Not ever again. He moved his glaring eyes to glance at every single one in the living area.

"As of now you all shall know that this woman," He pointed to Sakura, the words passing his lips but didn't reach his eyes or his heart. "Is my wife. _Uchiha_ Sakura."

The room froze, the time stopped with Sasuke's hard, demanding words when he threw reality in their faces. It was clear now to everybody -yet not accepted- that she was known from now on as Uchiha Sasuke's…

_Wife_.

Sasuke turned, making the ground-gazing-Sakura follow him.

Ocean blue eyes in a strangely whiskered face, glanced at everybody's facial expression before setting his gaze back on Sasuke's retrieving back. He found it almost funny that Itachi's face was… shocked, actually. Mikoto, who was still half lying on the couch, gaped with her jaw somewhere on the ground when she registered Sasuke's words.

Fugaku was… well he rather did not like think about the anger that was boiling in Fugaku's body right now. But all Naruto knew was that this was not the time to fuck with the man. The way he was clenching his fists, his jaw was hard and how his eyes were narrowed was evidence enough that the rage of the devil will be nothing compared to Fugaku fury.

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Sakura silently followed Sasuke upstairs. He showed her a room that was a hallway away from his own. "You'll be staying here." He stated monotone but in a gently, almost comfort kind of way.

Sakura glanced up to him, pushed her glasses back on her nose and eyed him.

"Your stuff will be here by tonight." He kept the same gently voice, yet it had no meaning behind it, and she knew that.

It sounded emotionless like it was said by a brick wall, which was exactly how Sasuke is.

"I…" She began, speaking barely above a whisper. "I sleep… in here?" By all means, don't get her wrong, the room was breathtaking, huge and so luxurious she thought that this was a dream and she couldn't believe that she could actually stay here, but it was the fact that she slept in a different room than her husband's that was bothering her.

She was _married_ to him now, she is connected to him like no woman had ever been and she couldn't… like, even sleep in the same room as he did? Even if it was for pretend?

Sasuke saw the sadness in her eyes and he told himself that he needed to say something that will put her to ease, just for now. That's why he walked over till he was completely in front of her. His finger traced her jaw and he easily felt how she tensed and stiffened at his touch. He slowly slid his digit below her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze.

His eyes were soft. Soft yet cold.

"It's only for now, until everything has settled down." He lied, he never intended of sharing a room with her -definitely not his room- and he wasn't going to sleep with her either. That's why he never consummated the wedding, if he did then he would have her cling to him forever and didn't want that. That wasn't the plan.

He gently cupped her face, seeing clearly how she fell and believed his lie with only that little motion.

She really is a naïve and innocent woman.

Fool.

His hand left her warm cheek, as he turned to leave. "Make yourself at home." He said lazily before he left. "I'll be coming back later."

Leaving her alone, Sasuke walked over to his room and sighed when he saw an idiot person stand at the door of his bedroom.

"What do you want, Naruto?"

The blond man said nothing as his serious ocean blue eyes flicked over to him. "You married a _maid_, Sasuke?" Naruto didn't use the nickname he had for him. He was bloody serious at this moment.

"Yeah, so what?" That didn't mean Sasuke was.

He pushed pass Naruto into his room, and, of course, the Uzumaki followed him.

"What do you mean with; 'So what'?"

"Exactly as you heard it."

"Sasuke, are you still drunk? Or has all the grieve and sorrow for Karin blown to your head making you to marry a maid?"

Sasuke snapped his head towards Naruto. "_Don't_ say her name." He growled low.

"I don't get it, Sasuke. What went through that mind of yours? You're usually the genius around here, the one who thinks ten times about one little thing in a course of one second. What the hell made you marry a maid?" Naruto's disbelieving eyes flashed anger, frustration and confusion.

"You did." Sasuke answered casually.

Raising a brow towards the ebony haired male, Naruto replied; "I did? What the fuck, man?"

"Hn. You said to get-"

"I meant screwing another woman, asshole, not marrying one! And definitely not a maid!"

Sasuke glared towards him, but he knew that these kinds of things were bound to come. He had decided a long time ago that he would ignore every comment that was sent his way.

He was Uchiha Sasuke, he did whatever the hell he wanted.

"I thought you knew what I meant." Naruto's lowered his voice, calming himself down.

Sasuke stayed silent.

"Clearly not." Naruto went to Sasuke's door, ready to leave. "I am not saying anything about this. It's your choice." With that he left.

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-** One week later, Uchiha Mansion, Miami **_**-**_

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It was Friday today and there was nothing special about it actually. It was like every Friday could get.

Sakura wasn't an employer at Uchiha's household anymore. No, now she practically 'owned' the place since she's married to the owner.

To avoid any servant, she was mostly in the room Sasuke had arranged for her. There or in the garden.

These was the only two places where rarely any servants came. It wasn't like she afraid for the servants of the house, but she didn't want to be questioned or bothered by them. And so far, she still didn't talk to Ino about this situation she's currently in.

She sighed sadly, Sasuke went to the company's building early this morning without saying a word.

That was such a Sasuke doing.

A cool breeze went through Miami's stiffening air, as it made the colorful flowers dance and picking up fallen leafs from the ground.

She closed her eyes behind the red thick glasses that were more sad than happy lately, while taking in the scent of the plants that were in the Grand Garden. And then sighed once again.

"Miss Sakura?"

The male's voice came from behind her and she swore it was Sasuke. While in reality it was somebody else. One who looks like him in more than one ways.

"I-Itachi?"

His face was serious, his dark orbs set on her while he stood several feet away from her.

"W-why are y-you-"

"I'm here to talk."

It was strange really, to have Sasuke's brother who never spoke a word to her or barely spare her a glance, talk straight to her now.

"What about?" She wondered, blinking.

"You must be a smart woman, Miss Sakura, think for yourself."

He wasn't calling her last name like a person like him usually would. But this was a special case he needs to be very careful with. He couldn't call her Uchiha, because even he found this all a little 'illegal' but since she actually married Sasuke he couldn't quite call her Haruno either.

Her first name will do, for now.

"S-Sasuke?" She replied to his question hidden in a sentence.

Correct, he thought, but didn't voice them, instead he merely blinked slowly. "I assume he is the one that asked you to marry him."

She nodded. "Yes."

"How much did he offer you? Five, ten million?"

Sakura lightly gasped at his assumption. "He didn't offer me anything."

'_Actually, he kind of has threatened me since I had to repay him…'_

"Then why did you marry him?"

She inhaled, getting a little angry right now, and letting fresh oxygen go through her lungs before she answered back. "Do you honestly think that I married him just for his money? I never would do such thing, who do you think that I am, one of those greedy, selfish women who only wants Sasuke purely for the amount of zeros he has on his bank account?"

She frowned when finished, and immediately realized that she had spoken to Itachi in way she usually wouldn't even dare to imagine. At Sasuke's brother! She could hardly keep herself from fainting.

Itachi said nothing but only gazed at her. His impassive, onyx eyes taking in her appearance.

Sakura gulped quietly. Why was he staring at her like that? Why was it like she was standing in some random room without air? And Itachi was the thief, who stole all the breaths that she could possibly take, with just one look and was now standing there, slowly chocking herself to death.

At least, that's how it seemed.

"You… have serious feelings for my little brother?"

Sakura's eyes widen slightly. He really, really thought she did it for the money.

Of course he thought that. Who wouldn't? She was a maid that was as poor as a street rat that now married an ultra-rich, handsome businessman. Everybody would think that she manipulated and trapped him into this marriage.

That thought in mind, she casted her eyes down. "I know it may sound weird, but all I want is for Sasuke to get out of all the misery he is in. He didn't offer me any money, I would've declined if he did because… well, even though he doesn't feel anything for me right now, I still want to be there for him at all times when he needs someone."

Itachi found that confession of her kind of corny but he could see that she was telling the truth.

Yet, he still wasn't convinced. He was almost sure that this woman did this all for the money and for Sasuke's looks. Besides that, he had heard from his father that she had stolen Mikoto's jewelry. She's a lying little sneak and he was sure he could cut off the fingers of this thief.

He, too, had tricks up his sleeves, and he will take them all out in order to see the true meaning as to why exactly she married Sasuke.

He wouldn't let the disgrace and shame fall upon his family because one dirt-poor servant stole all their money and got away to live in Brazil. No freaking way he's going to let that happen. If he could catch the burglar before he breaks in, then the value things in his house would be safe.

He was determent to handle with her, definitely now at this very moment when they were alone and no one could interrupt them.

"You know that Sasuke could eventually leave you." He began low, walking in a very slow pace to the short pink haired woman.

"I-I k-know."

"And that you'll have nothing after that."

Something in the back of her mind screamed at her that Itachi moving closer and closer to her was a big no-no. That's why, instinctively, she took a step back.

The way his orbs were narrowed was enough to get her trembling.

"And what are you going to do if you got absolutely nothing?" It was like he had quickened his steps because he was already in front her. Hovering above the woman with the same intimidating height Sasuke has.

She was still surprised till even today at how much the Uchiha brothers looks like one another.

His eyes were now hidden by the shadows of his hair, his lips one straight line.

"Sakura…" The name was dropped so low it was like he was slowly hissing her name, the tone so deep that Sakura literally shivered.

Whether it was out of fear or delight, she didn't know.

Itachi grabbed one of her arms -she squeaked lightly at the contact- and was completely blown away from this world when he pulled her to him.

His body heath warmed her face, making her cheeks glow virgin pink and her lips quiver. Itachi's body was hard like steel, she was sure there were very well worked-out muscles below his clothing.

Sakura's breath was stuck somewhere between her throat and lungs as one of Itachi's fingers softly traced her jaw. Somehow the movement reminded her of Sasuke. The trail he left was fire hot on her skin.

"M-Mr. U-Uchiha, w-what are y-you..." She was unable to finish stuttering as Itachi pressed his wandering digit on her dry lips.

Emerald eyes behind glasses flew up to Itachi's face that was suddenly very close to hers.

"Wha-"

"Come with me," He whispered, locking his gaze with hers. "If you come with me you don't ever have to worry about losing anything ever again. I'll give you whatever you desire." He raised her chin so that her mouth was in the same level as his.

"I have a mansion in Spain," He was still whispering. "We can live there, away from all your worries here and into paradise."

Sakura's outer self was completely dwelled by Itachi's nearness, his delicious scent and his deep voice. Her mind didn't even register his words at the moment.

Only a tiny voice all the way in the back of her head was praying to get attention, that she had to get away from him. That this was a trap. "N-no!" Sakura blinked again, breaking the iron stare of Sasuke's older brother. She shook her head, her inner self bringing her back to this world. The Uchiha still had her in his grasp and Sakura quickly noticed that too. Stepping away from him, she retrieved her arm from his hand.

"No." She said, at least two big steps away from him. "I already told you that I didn't marry Sasuke for his money, neither do I desire to ever have it." Her eyes went down to the ground now. "I… I really love him. And even if Sasuke doesn't love me back, which I know he doesn't, I do. And that is enough for me to do everything for him." She took in a shivery breath.

Itachi guessed that this was it. She really loved the younger Uchiha. She would not leave his side even if he offered the world on a golden plate.

She was different than all the other women. And he felt sorry for her now, because he knew that the love she gives his little brother so freely would never be returned.

Itachi created a small smirk. Sakura was taken aback by the sudden gesture.

"Good." He only said, turned on his heel to walk away.

"W-wait! Itachi?"

The said man stopped, his back still to her.

He kept silent and waited for her to continue.

"Was that… a test?" Sakura inquired quietly.

There was a moment that the only thing that could be heard was the soft rustling of the leafs in the wind.

"Yes." Itachi answered calmly. "And you passed."

Sakura couldn't help but smile.

-

_-_

_-_

_

* * *

  
_

Sasuke sat in his office behind his silver laptop, checking some data when his telephone interrupted him.

He thought about to just let it ring, probably just Naruto trying to annoy the heck out of him. Again. But something made him pick up anyway.

"Hello?" His voice monotone of all.

"_Little brother._"

Sasuke frowned. "Itachi? Why are you calling?"

"_It's about… your wife._"

For a reason that Sasuke couldn't understand, he tensed, but he made sure he kept his voice steady.

"What about her?"

"_It's not necessarily about her alone… but also about you._"

Itachi wasn't getting to the point, Sasuke knew that, but why was he turning around the bush?

"What about me?"

"_Why did you marry her?_"

"Why does it concern you?"

"_Answer the question, Sasuke."_

"Only if you answer first."

A short delay came from the other side of the line.

"_You do know what you're putting that woman go through, right?_"

"Why should you care, Itachi?"

"_As much as you are my little brother, you are messing with a woman who is so naïve that a small child is nothing compared to her. She doesn't deserve any of your ministrations. And definitely not if she lost more to the world than gained._"

"This is not your business Itachi, don't tell me you're changing into father."

"_No, you are wrong, father thinks that you had made many mistakes in your life, and I disagree._"

Sasuke smirked.

"_You had never made one before._"

Now Sasuke even felt himself flattered.

"_But you marrying Sakura was definitely one._"

And here's where Sasuke's face turned into a scowl.

-

_-_

_-_

_

* * *

  
_

_-_ **That evening, Uchiha Mansion, Miami**_** -**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

_Knock, knock..._

"Come in." A soft feminine voice said.

The door opened and a platinum blond haired maid was revealed.

"Dinner is about to be served, madam."

"Ino!" Sakura snapped her head towards the blond. "I didn't see you!"

Ino held her façade expressionless and didn't reply to her yell.

"Ino, please, don't be angry with me." Sakura approached her, but Ino raised one hand in order to stop her from coming closer.

"I'm not, madam. I'm merely doing my job."

Sakura blinked, her emerald eyes already hurting, threaten to be filled with salty tears. "Ino don't call me that, I'm your friend."

When Sakura dropped the word 'friend' Ino's eyes narrowed into a vicious glare. "We are not friends, Sakura. Friends tell each other everything, especially if they were getting married."

"Ino, you must understand that I could not. I gave my word, you of all people knows the best that if I promise something I will keep to it."

Ino remained quiet for a some moments after that statement. Sakura was right, she knew that was so. But… still. It was nice to know that your best friend was going to into a marriage with Uchiha Sasuke.

Although… she did warn her that she would know that following Saturday.

But it hurt. It hurt that she, Sakura's one and probably only true friend, knew it on the same time or even later than everybody else.

"Please Ino," Sakura's voice going low, her eyes locking with her feet. "Forgive me for not telling you, I would have done so, I really would, if Sasuke didn't make me swear, actually he forced me not to-"

She was interrupted when Ino pulled her for a hug. "I already did, you Billboard Brow, I already did." It didn't take very long for Sakura to hug her back.

"Let's go," The baby blue eyed female said. "I was sent here to tell you that dinner is ready, your dear family-in-law is expecting you."

_-_

_-_

_-_

_

* * *

  
_

Just as Ino had informed her, the other Uchihas were already seated at the dinner table when she arrived. All the dark eyes of the Uchihas set on her.

While those of Sasuke, Itachi and even Mikoto were impassive, Fugaku was full out and openly glaring at her.

Sakura gulped, taking small, uneven steps towards the empty chair right next to Sasuke and said a very, utterly silently; "Good evening," when she reached the table. Nobody replied back to her, just as she thought, and sat down.

This was strange, usually she was standing at least 3 good feet away from this table, as a maid, while she saw how they would consume their food.

Now she was one of _them_, sitting at this very table, getting served instead of doing the serving.

It felt awkward, the atmosphere was awkward, the silence was awkward, their faces were awkward and even the food tasted awkward.

Her fist meal with this awkward family.

Itachi had more than enough of this irritating silence amongst them, so he decided to change that. "Isn't anybody going to say something?"

Fugaku's angered face turned from Sasuke and his wife to his eldest son, grinding his teeth together and lips downwards into a scowl. Not even saying one word.

They better not want him say a word.

Mikoto looked grim.

Sakura's face was buried between her food that she wasn't even touching. Sasuke was the only one between them that didn't looked affected by the least. He quietly ate his dinner like he usually would as if it was the most normal thing to do.

He was trying to fool everybody with his calm overcome. Itachi was certain that even Sasuke could feel the deadly sharp tension that hung in the air.

"What is there to be said?" Fugaku broke the pregnant silence after Itachi. "I'm sure the most of us agrees that there's _something_ in our middle that clearly doesn't belong here."

The onyx eyes of Itachi shifted from his father to his mother, finding it very strange that she wasn't saying anything after Fugaku's bold answer like she usually would. But there came nothing, not even a warning to shut him up.

"A dirty commoner, a servant, a lying thief isn't meant to be in this house. It's such a disgrace that she bears the name Uchiha, or any other name for that matter."

Itachi had to fight the urge to make a protest, to say anything, but it wasn't his station to make any, it was his little brother's. And he was just sitting there, also listening how Fugaku was insulting the heck out of his wife -which he was still doing in the background- without saying a word.

This really must be a pain for Sakura and this all was so pathetic. She was here, doing whatever she can for Sasuke because she loved him, even knowing very well that she can't expect love back any time soon and her own husband wasn't defending her in the slightest.

He liked her character, she wasn't as all the other women who claimed that loved his little brother while in reality the only thing they loved was themselves, the money, Sasuke's body and his name. Unlike them, she was not and that's why she doesn't deserve any of this.

Itachi stared Sasuke in the face, -who sat right across of him- until he looked back.

His father still talking, humiliating her.

Sasuke, feeling someone's eyes bore on him, looked up only to meet Itachi's glaring one. The expression on his features made his own twist into a frown.

Why was Itachi looking at him like that?

"And I'm not spending any second more at this table." Fugaku finally finished.

Both the Uchiha brothers' attention was turned from each other to their father when he threw his spoon on the plate, rose and actually left them.

Mikoto said nothing, but only shot them a look that she was partly sad and worried yet also had something of agreement of her husband's words before she followed Fugaku.

A short silence.

"I… excuse me." Sakura's voice sounded strangled, like she was holding back a sob, which she probably was. But neither of them was certain of that since she didn't lift her face up into their vision to actually say.

They were the only two at the dinner table now and the eldest Uchiha narrowed his dark orbs on Sasuke as soon as Sakura was gone.

"What?" Sasuke snapped upon seeing his brother's glaring face.

"You know exactly what." Itachi retorted.

"I don't."

"Then use your head."

Sasuke knew what was going on, but refused to say it.

"Why are you doing this to her?"

"Go mind your own damn business."

"Are you taking your revenge on her because you can't on Karin?" He knew this would piss Sasuke off an it did; in an instant Sasuke had tighten his grip around his spoon and clenched his jaw.

"Don't fucking say her name!"

"Did I just hit an nerve little brother? Cry your heart out all you want but don't let that woman suffer because of it."

"Why do you care?"

"Why don't you?"

Sasuke stood up from his seat, anger was plastered all over his beautiful face. His brother shooting a glare right back at him. "She has nothing to do with you, Itachi. So fuck off."

-

-

-

* * *

If there was an award out there for who-cries-the-most-in-this-entire-world, then Sakura definitely would've won it. Her cheeks were all damp and wet of the tears and her nose was red of all the wiping.

Had she even made the right decision by doing this? This was a thought that raced to her mind for hours that she has been on her bed now.

Even if her 'dream' came true, she really married Uchiha Sasuke, she had never imagined it to feel so…

Awful.

It was supposed to be the contrary, she never had to feel any more happier in her life.

Clearly she wasn't.

The insults of Sasuke's father were so horribly painful, she wondered if they didn't had wounded her physically.

Why? Why was he like that? And why wasn't Sasuke saying anything?

Her tears began to fall harder, like little rivers that contained salt, until she heard the door opening.

She turned on her bed to see her husband had come in.

"Sasuke!" Her feet carried her off the bed to him, she lifted her flushed, wet face to him, wanting, needing a kiss from him right now.

What she didn't know was that Sasuke wasn't about to kiss her any longer, not on the lips anyway. He maneuvered himself so that he kissed her forehead instead.

Sakura, too sad and wanting comfort in any way she could get, didn't notice and only buried her head in his shoulder and continued with crying.

"Phasuke, if whash so hobbible…" The clothing of him blocked her voice.

He said nothing and did the only thing that he could do; he patted her back.

She looked back up to him, her emerald eyes glistening by the tears and sadness was readable till her depths. "Why would he say such things?"

He stared at her with no expression at all, blank, just there, as he took in -in absolute silence- her orbs.

She didn't need to speak with her lips for him to know what she was saying, her eyes spoke for themselves. He was so taken away by them, they were so green, so deep, so…

_So…_

He blinked, ever so slowly bringing himself to reality.

Sakura wouldn't let him go, she was still embracing him, searching comfort and warmth that he couldn't -or rather wouldn't- give.

In his mind, the only one who ever got affection from him was one person only.

And that was Karin.

-

-

-

* * *

- **2 weeks later - **

**

* * *

  
**

Sakura preferred to eat another time then the other Uchihas would and so far she succeeded in doing so.

This was annoying actually, she didn't know why Sasuke's parents were practically living in his house. Didn't they have one of their own somewhere else in Miami?

She had heard from Ino that Fugaku claimed that he stayed here solely to push Sasuke again in the right direction of business. Ino, though, didn't believe shit. The blond said that he stayed to keep an eye on her because he wasn't trusting her around Sasuke's expensive stuff.

And Sakura thought so too.

While Fugaku and Mikoto were there constantly, Sasuke was the whole day away at the company's head building. Itachi was present at his little brother's house once in a while. He admitted, once, that he was much more at Sasuke's mansion ever since he introduced Karin, then before. After their little talk in the garden, she and Itachi spoke more to each other than she and Sasuke.

Not that their conversations were suddenly tremendous lot, but so far there was quite a few.

Not as much as she hoped with Sasuke. So she decided to change that today.

She was heading to Sasuke's room right now with a weak excuse like; his brother wanted to speak to him one of these days. Which was true, Itachi did mention it the last time they spoke that he wanted to speak to him. It's just that it had been such a long time that she even saw her own husband and now she was going to see him.

It was something at 10 o'clock on a Sunday night, so he surely must be home in his room.

Either he's doing nothing but relax or he's working on some files for his company.

She really didn't know but when she entered his room she found his television and the laptop on, yet no Sasuke to be seen. She was about to call out his name to locate where he exactly is but didn't even had to when the sound of falling and breaking glass reached her ears. A vicious "Shit!" right behind it.

Apparently he was in his private bathroom, Sakura noted and helped herself to him.

"Sasuke…?" She called softly.

Said man was standing against the sink, holding out his left hand before him. Broken glass was spread all over the floor lying in some liquid.

The scent told her that it was alcohol.

Sakura wondered why he was cursing and glaring at his left hand, she wasn't wearing her glasses and was unable to see why. She avoided all the splintered glass on the floor to come to him, when was close enough, she saw that he was bleeding.

It took less than a nanosecond for her to be filled with worry. "Oh God, Sasuke are you ok?"

With a gentle hand only she had, she reached out to grab Sasuke's bloody hand but he pulled it away from her like she was fire.

"I'm fine." It was a snarl and, of course, it had hurt her.

Sasuke turned to the sink without casting her a glance, opened the tap with his right hand and held his bloody red palm below the cold running water. The dirty water mixed with his blood went through the drain.

When Sasuke decided that it was enough, he closed the water and turned back to Sakura who stood there motionless staring at him.

The look in his eyes told the pink haired that he was half on this world and half out of it, meaning he was trying to get drunk again but was still tipsy for now.

"What do you want?" He hissed at her, letting her wince at his tone. His voice wasn't slurring yet but since he wasn't fully drunk he got annoyed very quickly.

Sakura only blinked, thinking it was better to be a little patient and stay silent until he calmed his nerves, even if it was for just a notch.

But that was a whole other case with Sasuke. The longer she kept quiet the shorter his patients became.

"Speak damn it!"

"Y-you need to treat that wound before it gets infected." She said out quickly but quietly. More out of fear than from of her true intentions.

Sasuke looked down at his left hand, a red diagonal wound that surely began to bleed again was visible. "Why the hell do you care?" He grunted with an indifferent shrug.

"How can you say that Sasuke?"

She neared him, reaching out for his face.

He wondered what the fuck she was doing coming so close so boldly. Since when does she even do this?

But her hand didn't touch his face, it past his cheek, past his ear to the medicine-cabinet behind him.

"Of course I care. Do you really expect me not to?" She was close to him, and his clouded eyes went over her face, lingering at her eyes like he seemed to do a lot lately.

He couldn't help wonder why.

Her hand opened the medicine-cabinet and found what she was looking for.

A first aid case.

She opened the small square box and took the iodine bottle out of it. She only hoped that this wasn't those kinds of iodine that still stains.

"Fuck!" Sasuke cursed when she put to liquid on his open wound.

Sakura guessed that it was one of those.

"Sorry!" She apologized.

Sasuke looked quietly how she cleaned up his hand, following every move of her and how she neatly folded a bandage around it.

For the first time that she was with him this was actually a comfortable silence. She liked it, and that little joyful thought made a smile grace her lips. A small one but a smile nonetheless.

"Why are you smiling?"

While still handling with his hand, her eyes grew in shock. She didn't think about the fact that Sasuke might be looking at her. She thought he was checking how she was treating his wound instead staring at her.

"Oh, for nothing." She replied.

She was finished now and it felt a little sad because of it. Losing the contact she had on his big warm hand was a downfall for her. If he could only touch her again with those hands.

"There you go." Sakura smiled to him.

His gaze went from her smiling face, to his hand, inspecting it as if to check if she did it correctly. While in reality, -what he himself wasn't even knowing- he was admiring her work.

"I hope I didn't bind it too tight."

The Uchiha slowly shook his head no.

_It is perfect._

"Um, I guess I should clean this mess up." She pointed to the ground that still held all the glass.

"Why are you here?" Ignoring her first comment, he talked less harsh than how he was 10 minutes ago but still incredibly cold.

"Let me clean that first, you might hurt yourself again, and-"

"Sakura," He said calmly, missing how a warm shiver went through her when he dropped her name. "Answer me."

"Oh… um, I came to tell you… that your brother wanted to speak to you." Ah, couldn't she come with another excuse than this pathetic one?

"Why didn't he call?"

"…He couldn't reach you…?" It came out more a question than a statement.

Sasuke stared at her for a moment, then stepped over the broken glass out of the bathroom. Sakura swallowed, thinking if it was a good idea if she hit her head against the wall, but decided to follow him.

"Sasuke?"

The man turned to his wife.

"Why were you drinking again?"

Sasuke scowled and didn't reply to her. He doesn't need to explain himself to her, so why would he?

"Sasuke…" She called the Uchiha softly. "A-alcohol doesn't solve your problem, no matter how much you drown yourself in it."

The ebony haired male almost rolled his eyes. Now he was getting a lecture of a woman who wasn't even his mother and probably never had a drop of alcohol in her life.

"Please don't ignore me." Sakura did the most bolding thing she had ever done; she grabbed his wrist, forcing him to face her.

Her eyes, shining emerald as they were, pleaded and was desperate to help him. If he should be honest, a look he never saw on Karin.

"I'm really asking you not to do this, Sasuke." Her voice was tiny, practically inaudible to his ears.

It irritated Sasuke that she was even trying. He didn't want to. He did not want her to even care. He didn't about her, so why did she about him?

And those eyes… those freaking deep green eyes weren't helping. He found himself staring at her, at her orbs once again.

"Please, Sasuke…" Her voice snapped him out of his trance. "Don't do it."

Her plea was gently and fragile that it somehow made something ache in his body.

Just for a brief moment.

His inner walls had his heart covered before these so-called feelings could do more damage to him.

"Go to sleep, Sakura."

He was sending her away because he didn't want to deal with her any further. If her lectures and pleads weren't enough then her eyes were.

_They were…_

Annoying right now.

"No, Sasuke…"

And she was still getting more and more annoying over the minute.

A deep glare was plastered on his face when he turned back to the woman who was getting on his nerves. If Sakura had any courage in her body then Sasuke would've crushed it with that single look.

She shifted, more frightened than uncomfortable but held herself to keep in eye contact with him. She gulped down an amount of spit, a hard lump in her throat that refused to go away. "I-if you drink, y-you only make it w-worse for yourself."

Sasuke asked himself why she was still here, speaking words that he didn't want to hear but was set in his mind nonetheless.

"Sakura, why the hell do you even-"

"I do this because I _do_ care! I'm doing this for you!"

Sasuke was not surprised by that statement, yet… he was.

He knew very well that Sakura had feelings for him, that's how he played the game with her, she was like a pawn, but he was taken aback by her words at the very same. They came so sudden, so sincere.

All the women he has been with, has let him for who he was and what he did. They didn't go against any of his actions, they didn't give a shit about it. And this is including Karin.

They didn't object if he was drunk almost every night.

Even Karin, the woman he loved, that he wouldn't see for days if he didn't kept bombarding her with presents he personally bought for her, had those moments. In fact if he wasn't doing that lately, he wouldn't see her at all. It does explain why she wasn't around so much because she was sleeping around with another man, too busy with running two lives to actually care about the little things like this.

Unlike Sakura, Karin and all the other women before her, were all too materialistic to notice.

This thought in mind, it struck him that it was evidence that Sakura would never steal his mother's jewelry.

She was not that type of woman.

Sasuke blinked slowly, approaching Sakura now in a slow pace. The way he moved almost let her take her words back. He said nothing when he was before her. He was nearby, quiet and watching.

Why was she different? How was it that she wasn't like the rest?

She's poor, doesn't that mean that she needs to be the one who's more greedy for money than a rich one?

He didn't get her. He didn't get her at all, just as he included that all women were the same, he relied on his own theory, and -if you gave them enough attention, passion and gifts they all would be happy- she came and confused him.

She didn't ask for anything. Not one single thing. Yet, she's married to him. _A_ _millionaire_.

She didn't whine for something in the slightest, she let him be, wherever he was. She didn't cling to him for attention and this was the first time in weeks that he was this long with her in one room.

Everything about her was something else than he was used to. And that alone…

Annoyed him.

While Sasuke was cracking his skull why she was like this, Sakura in the other hand was getting more nervous after each time she blinked.

Why was he standing before her, frozen, silent as a grave and looking down at her with a gaze so intense, as it was ice cold, that held nothing else beside darkness? Was he waiting for her to speak? For her to leave?

If there was anybody mysterious in this world it was Uchiha Sasuke.

She could never even nearby guess what he was thinking, his expression was showing off blankness, his eyes gave out nothing, that nor his lips were saying. And that made it hard for everybody to guess what he exactly wanted.

Sasuke was one tough cookie to split.

But that was not her first problem at the moment, she had to face the situation beforehand and that was a very quiet Uchiha male still staring at her.

Before she was had a chance to croak a word, Sasuke had beat her to it and told her calmly as ever; "Just go to sleep, Sakura."

She blinked once, confused, found this whole conversation even more confusing, found Sasuke staring at her so close to her so quiet, the most confusing and could not make any sense of this at all.

She let out a quiet sigh, hiding her emerald orbs for as long as the sigh lasted. She gave up, if just for tonight. Her head began to spin if she even began to un-puzzle someone as Uchiha Sasuke.

She turned away from him, her back now facing him, yet she didn't make a move to leave.

Not yet.

"Just… don't drink. Please… Sasuke."

He never felt a thing shoot through him just by hearing his name being said. Never, not even when a woman was moaning his name when they were having rough, passionate sex, but when she said it, when Sakura said it, whispering and softly, a silent beg yet just a name, something had to go through him.

Through all of him.

She had walked away the instant she finished her sentence and left him just as he requested. Unlike other times, this time he followed her retrieving form until she was completely gone and the door closed.

The way she said his name was the only thought that ruled his mind right now. Thinking if maybe, just maybe, he wanted to hear it more often.

-

-

-

* * *

**- One month later- **

**

* * *

  
**

Sasuke was at the company's head building doing some paper work Naruto hadn't the capacity to do.

Where is that dobe anyway? He needed him right now for-

_Ring, ring, ring, ring…_

His office telephone went, he easily heaved up the horn and pressed the red intercom button.

"Hn."

"_I'm sorry to interrupt you Mr. Uchiha but your brother is on line one_." Cindy, Sasuke's secretary, told him.

"Right." He pressed the number 1 button, keeping it on intercom and grunted. "What?"

"_That's not a nice way for greetings, little brother_." Itachi's voice toneless as he responded to Sasuke's sneer.

"Trying to be the family clown, Itachi? I guess that someday you can beat Madara."

Madara was Sasuke and Itachi's grandfather's youngest brother out of 12 other brother and sisters, and was by all mean the most hilarious man in the entire stoic Uchiha family.

He was said to suffer from two personalities syndrome. He also called himself Tobi, time to time.

"_Believe me little brother, I do not intend to steal Madara's place as comedian in our family, but I am taking one of your seats tonight at your house_."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke's voice was getting serious now.

"_Father has arranged a dinner at your place tonight. Although I believe it was mother that forced him to do it since she hasn't been at you for a while_."

"People making decisions over my own house and I'm the last that gets informed about it. How pleasant to know." Sasuke being sarcastic found it all but funny. "Unfortunately, I'm not capable of attending this dinner, but feel free to use the house."

"_Is your wife there?_" Itachi asked calmly.

This was the first time Sakura popped back in his head for… only hours.

"Where else would she go?"

"_Hn. Then I shall stay at this dinner to accompany her_."

Sasuke, finding it strange his brother offered such a generous offer. Which was unlike him to do. "Why would you do that?"

"_Would you sent her alone to father?_"

"…"

"_I rest my case_."

"No, Sakura would not eat the same time as them."

"_You have forgotten that this was set just a minute or two ago, she doesn't know. And mother and father are probably already there_."

Silence came from Sasuke's side.

"_I assume you're even going to try to join us tonight_."

Actually, Sasuke was not even going to try. He simply wasn't.

"Yeah, whatever."

-

-

-

* * *

**- That night, Uchiha Mansion, Miami - **

**

* * *

  
**

_Knock, knock, knock…_

Sakura opened the door of her bedroom and saw her platinum blond stand there.

A smile graced her features immediately. She hadn't seen her since she last week.

"Ino!" She hugged her, she can't remember the last time she had an actual conversation with her.

Ino smiled a polite smile back. Not a true one. "I'm sorry Sakura, that I have interrupted you but-"

"Nonsense! What are you talking about? Don't be so stiff, come in, come in." She gestured with her hand for Ino to enter.

But Ino's façade already has gone serious, an expression Sakura wasn't accustomed to see on her face. "I cannot, Sakura, you know better than anyone here that it's practically forbidden to talk unless we're spoken to."

"But-"

"You are a member of the house now, our master's wife to be exact. It's against the rules, and you know it. I may not break them."

Sakura's smile faltered upon hearing Ino's words, but they were true. And it would be selfish if she forced Ino to break them only to satisfy a herself.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry Ino."

A sad smile played on the corner of the blonde's lips, trying to apologize back. "Don't be, I'm just here to tell you that dinner is to be served."

Sakura nodded and went downstairs to the big dining room to sit at the long table all alone like every day. She was even more lonely here than ever before. In the whole two months that she is married to Sasuke she had dined with him 3 times or so? Twice with his parents and brother along and once just the two of them.

It was a very quiet dinner, as expected if she was with Sasuke and he did not look her once in the eye.

Truth is; she felt awful here.

She never sees Sasuke and even if she did then he always has an excuse to sent her away. She was the most of the time in her room Sasuke arranged for her or in the garden and had nobody to talk to.

She would even admit that she was happier off as a poor working maid than now.

Her purpose here was to help Sasuke forget the other woman. But how could she aid him if all what he did was push her away? Why was she even here, then?

All of a sudden she had the urge to cry. The pain in her heart grew day by day and it could break any moments now.

She held her heart from doing so. She wanted to stay strong.

Or at least tried to stay strong.

She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose just in time before Mr. Hanika -the head butler- entered. His face grim, holding himself from glaring and scowling.

"May I pronounce the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha."

What? Why were Fugaku and Mikoto here? Sasuke isn't at the house, so why were they?

The two walked in talking to each other probably about some fancy subject, then abruptly they both halted when their eyes fell upon the pink haired woman seated at the table.

Fugaku didn't need a second to create a deep glare. A frown came upon Mikoto's face.

"What are you doing here?" Fugaku hissed.

Sakura's emerald eyes, hidden away by her red thick glasses, widen in fear of the Uchiha's tone.

"I-I-I… was just-"

"Move." He ordered harsh, his voice alone could've almost slit her throat.

Sakura was completely flabbergast. She was glued to her chair, unable to move, unable to breathe.

"I said _move_!" He shouted, letting Sakura shoot up from the chair she was sitting on.

The woman was trembling like a small kitten in the rain. Afraid of this man.

"Fugaku…" Mikoto said slowly. "Is it really necessary that-"

"Yes!" He cut her off. "She's a filthy, poor servant that does not belong at this table." He growled. "She will only taint it with her lies and deceiving tricks. People like her should eat in the kitchen with all the other servants."

Sakura backed away from the table, quickly glancing towards Fugaku's wife with pleading, horrified look in her eyes. But she found Mikoto's expression worried instead of glaring, scowling or frowning.

Hanika Joshua stood behind the couple and was cruelly smirking. He thought that this served her right.

"I do not want to see you walking in this house as long as I'm staying. You may have gained my son's trust with your lies, but not me. I don't want you to come near me or my wife."

The only thing Sakura could really do was nod.

Not wanting to stay here and endure Fugaku's death glare any longer, she went away and obeyed him.

She hadn't come out of her room ever since.

"Really Fugaku," Said Mikoto to her husband when she was gone. "You don't have to sneer at her like that."

The said man switched to Mikoto with the anger still in his onyx eyes. "I don't trust her, do not forget that she was the one who stole your jewelry and lied about it before our very eyes. I will not fail again." He scoffed at his wife's façade, while casually taking his seat for dinner.

Mikoto couldn't help but to feel slightly guilty. The scared look in Sakura's eyes was trimmed in her conscious and was getting worse and worse by the minute.

She really didn't look like a thief.

"Are you coming or what?"

Mikoto raised her orbs to her husband, his angry features gone and was replaced by a relaxed, stoic look. If only she could shrug that sad, guilty feeling out of her.

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-** 2 nights later -**

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Sakura switched the channels of her television lazily, without hearing the bedroom open behind her.

It was only until his masculine, deep voice reached her ears she knew he had entered.

"Sakura."

A shiver made her spun around faster than lightning.

"Sasuke…"

He looked amazing in that suit of him. She had to blink twice to check if she wasn't hallucinating.

"Um, your parents are in." She tried to make a conversation because the pregnant silence was killing her.

"So I've heard." He replied impassively.

Did Sasuke know what his father commanded to her? If he did, then wasn't he going to take charge?

"Um, your father forbidden me to leave this room." It came out as a whisper; simply afraid.

"I know."

Emerald eyes shot up. He knew? He knew and didn't say anything about it? For two whole days?

"B-but i-if you knew, then w-why didn't y-you-"

"He's my father. I prefer not to."

She could've seen it coming though that he wouldn't go against his father.

"Oh." She replied softly, looking to the floor.

"I only came tell you that even if my father told you to eat in the kitchen, you don't need to. You're not a servant. Not anymore."

That's it? He came all the way to her room to tell her that? Strange because he could've sent someone to inform her about that just as easily. Not that she wasn't glad about it.

Sasuke's was actually asking himself the same thing. Why did he come here by himself? It's not that he would usually come to her room personally to tell her that little piece of information. But tonight, something made him come himself.

What, exactly? He did not know.

Somehow his feet automatically walked to her room. He had to see her, which was not his usual self and now he wondered if he wasn't sick.

He assumed that it was now time to leave because he had no other value reason to stay in her room much longer. So he nodded shortly back to her, finding himself unlucky that she was wearing her glasses.

Whoa.

Wait.

What?

_Finding himself unlucky because she was wearing her glasses? _What the fuck? Why should he care? She can wear her glasses whenever she wants. He doesn't need to feel anything about it. What was this? A joke that his conscious was playing with him?

He shrugged, already pissed about the whole subject Sakura and her goddamn eyes.

She annoyed him even by doing nothing.

_But… _

Sakura exhaled, she didn't think that she could deal with Sasuke's coldness very long. He was so confusing, so unexplainable.

Can she go through like this for God knows how long?

She doesn't think so.

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What was up with him? All that was flashing through his mind was emerald, emerald, and more emerald.

Those eyes were plaguing him, haunting him everywhere he looked, every time he closed his eyes, every moment his thoughts drifted away even for a second they ended up at the emerald colored eyes.

She was on his mind. And he did not know why. There was nothing special about her. She wasn't extraordinary beautiful like all the women he was used to, she wasn't like that. Not at all.

Everything about her was other than them. Beginning with her eyes.

_He still found them…_

And suddenly her smile popped into his head. Her hidden smile that he had only seen twice so far but was miraculously set in his thoughts.

Sakura… she was a woman who loved him and also _showed_ she loved him more than any other women he had ever known. She did everything for him, even underwent his father.

_Tch_, how ironic.

Who would've thought that somebody like Uchiha Sasuke would constantly think about a woman like Sakura? She's a nobody. She's poor. She's an orphan and she doesn't even come near the typical woman one would imagine for Sasuke. But she was there, at his side, in his mind, staying the same like she always has been. Despite the fact that she married the man of her dreams and who is a millionaire too.

He knows that he had treat her so badly, still _is_ treating her badly. He let his father practically lock her up in her room, not defending her from his father and snapping at her more than he would honestly admit.

She was so very different than Karin.

Thinking about it made him question himself. Was his feelings for Sakura different now, too? He was already thinking about her a lot these days. Could he compare Sakura to his once fiancée? Did she surpassed Karin on the way?

Because, unlike with Sakura, the most thing he and Karin had was physical. He and Karin were having more sex than actually talk. Not that he was a talking person and he found that ok with Karin.

Maybe that's why Sakura annoyed him so much. She talked a lot. She talked too much. But he shouldn't dwell on Karin much, she is history, long gone and isn't coming back.

Sakura really had filled her purpose as bride. He had forgotten all about Karin, what used to be filled with thoughts of the Sarina was removed and made place for Sakura.

And that's when _realization_ hit him.

Sakura _is_ different than all the other women.

Sakura _did_ replace Karin.

He really _has_ feelings for her.

Words…

Words that he once uttered to Karin filled his mind with that along the name; Sakura.

'_I lo-'_

"_Mr. Uchiha?_"

Sasuke, angry that he was disturbed in his thoughts, instantly glared to his telephone. He pressed the red button with a strength that could easily break the object. Snapping, he replied. "What?"

"_Um, you have a visitor Mr. Uchiha_." Cindy told him a tad nervous.

She should be, because he's on the brick of sneering at her.

"I'm not expecting anyone. Tell him he should leave." He hissed through clenched teeth.

"_I-I think you should receive this one… Mr. Uchiha_."

He will tend this visitor only to see if it's somebody important. If not, he will snap at him, sent him the hell out of his office and call Sakura right away for a talk.

"Sent him in." He pressed on the button again, his mind distracted now for he was thinking if he should bring Sakura for a quick dinner or so. His own house was out of the question since his parents were still there.

The door opened slowly and he did not bother to look up to one of his clients.

"State your business." He said, while writing down the name of his favorite restaurant so he would call them to make a reservation.

"_Sasuke_…"

The man froze, the pen slipping between his digits on his desk and eventually rolled off the edge.

His head shot up.

Not possible…

No way was this possible…

"Karin…"

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**A/N: And I thought Karin left 3 chapters ago and wasn't coming back? Well surprise, surprise, there you go. Our favorite, -and I'm going to say it- BITCH OF THE WICKED FOREST has returned. **

**Say to me honestly, were you guys expecting Karin back or not, before you've read this chapter I mean. Because… I did. :D**

**Um… yes. Sasuke had come very quickly to the realization that he has feelings for Sakura, but if I take too long with writing every time how he loves her eyes and her words and the way she says his name and he gets some weird unknown feelings is going to be old very soon. **

**Although you should remember that there is a space of 3 months before he actually realized that he had a thing for her. For us it's just 15 minutes, for them much longer. **

**But anyhow, I am excited for the next chapter. Are you? Tell me your opinion, because I update anyway any time I want so please give me more words then 'update soon' or anything in that neighborhood. **

**But do whatever you like, any review is appreciated. Really. **

**Anyway, cake and cotton-candy for ya'll!**

**R & R**

**Yay.**

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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'_Four words to destroy a guy's ego… Is It In Yet?'_ – **Anonymous **

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_To Be Continued_

_Stay tuned for next Time Same Site, Same Story_

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	7. Together Again

**A/N: Scream! **_**AAAAH!**_** Run, don't walk! Karin is back, and with a purpose!**

**So you hate the fact that she's back huh? Yeah, me too. It creeps me out though, a woman like Karin, here now on (almost) Halloween haunting our thoughts that she MIGHT end up with Uchiha Sasuke in the actual manga. Don't you find it the most scariest thing in the world?**

**Really, any of you is going to help me to threaten Kishimoto-sama in making Sasuke and Sakura together in the end and not with someone else than each other? Because how this is going… not very good.**

**But let's not think that way. Everywhere where are SasuSaku fans, there's hope. All we've got to do is **_**believe**_**. Dattebayo! Lol.**

**Oh, and Happy Halloween to you folks. The place I live in doesn't celebrate Halloween. The children here don't go from door to door late at night knocking on at strangers and yell; **_**Trick or treat!**_** For candy. *Sniff* I wish we did. Damn, we're such a boring country. **

**So, spooky around a bit this day, for all who celebrate All Hallows Eve… **

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Naruto**_**, or any of the brands, for if I did then…well… I rather don't think about it before I start to weep. **

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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'_We see the ones we love as we wished them to be, not as they really are.' -_** Count Armand (Something), 'The Legend of Zorro' **

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_Thump-thump-thump…_ His heart went_. Thump-thump-thump…_

"Karin…" His voice held utterly shock, as well as his features were showing.

The red haired woman stood there, at the entrance of his office, with an enchanting smile he hadn't seen in months. What surprised him of all was that she was as thin as he remembered. Where's the swollen belly that should have popped out by now? She had no baby with her, only a smile on her red lips that matched her eyes and her loose hair, and wearing tight revealing clothes, like always.

She was here, back in front of him.

He blinked. "What are you doing here?" He asked after a silent of at least 5 whole minutes, while staring at each other.

The corners of her lips were tugged upward as she took a step towards him. "To see you, obviously."

Onyx orbs narrowed to slits. "There's nothing 'obvious' about this. Who the hell gave you the nerve of barging in here like this after what you did?"

"Oh Sasuke baby, relax." She talked casually. "And FYI, I didn't come barging in here. I neatly let your secretary know that I-"

"Not the fucking point, Karin. Why are you here? Where's the baby? And why aren't you with the father?" Sasuke rose from his seat, passing Karin in height now.

The Sarina merely crunched her nose, quickly stole a glance of Sasuke's office view on Miami, and then looked back at him with a snort.

"I removed the baby. And… let's just say that I realized that I made the wrong decision. So I'm back, for you."

The perfect eyebrows of Sasuke drew together when he started a frown. "You think it's just that simple? You think you can just walk back in here expecting everything to be the same?"

Karin batted her eyelashes sugary sweet. "Yes."

"You are not the only one who moved on Karin. I'm married."

Karin parted her lips, letting her mouth agape in surprise that hit her. "You are what?"

"Exactly what I said."

"_Married?!_" Crimson orbs shifted to his left hand and it only confirmed his statement. The golden wedding ring just screamed 'Here-I-am' in her face.

Married? Absolutely not, even if Sasuke is married legally, his heart refused to marry anyone else besides herself. That much Karin knows.

"To whom?"

"That's not of your concern."

She knew he couldn't possibly be serious about this. He loved her. She was 100 percent _sure_ that Sasuke loved her and _her_ alone. Whoever Sasuke was married to, she was then merely the rebound girl. Nothing more.

She, in the other hand, she was the real deal.

One who had screwed up, sure, but still owned his cold heart. Nobody else ruled Sasuke. And if she does this correctly then she can wind him back up around her little finger. It couldn't be so hard; all she had to do was let Sasuke remember what they exactly had.

"Sasuke," She walked to him, swaying her hips more than usual in her Replay mini-skirt.

"Married as you are, however, you cannot have forgotten this merely in a span of couple of months." Her voice was smooth like velvet to his ears. "I know what kind of man you are." She was right before him now, her crimson orbs turned up to him. "I know what you like. How perfectionist you can be." A finger moved up his chest and made slow tiny circles on his suit. "Your sense of aesthetics." She practically whispered now, eyes mischievous as they were, played with him. "I know that once you put your mind on something, doesn't matter how long time has went, nobody can change it."

She simply pressed herself against him; he didn't go along with her yet didn't make a move to get her off of him.

"And you had put your mind on me a long time ago, Sasuke."

He tried.

He really tried to refuse, but she had made his conscious trick and old memories, along with feelings rose faster in him than he anticipated. The look in her eyes, that damn horny look in her eyes -that she knows very well no man who's straight can refuse- could make him crazy without he even realize.

This is why he stayed with Karin for as long as it lasted till he asked her to marry. She could let him forget _everything_ in the world.

Just like this very moment.

He forgot that he was in his office, that he was angry at her. He forgot his own name. Maybe that's why they were having so much sex all the time.

And that was the same direction they were heading when Karin slowly pushed Sasuke back in his office chair. Not even breaking the entranced eye-contact one moment, she helped herself on his lap and leaded his hand to the hem of her shirt.

He was too busy being completely numb by hormones, by her hypnotizing look, and the playful smirk on her lips. Those same lips connected with his again, and after three whole months, which felt like a lifetime from both of the parties, they were locked again. He hadn't felt this amazingly hot, turned on, and barbaric in _such_ a long time.

He moved on pure instinct, he was already thrown into that sinful world of desire and lots and lots of long-awaited lust. He did the only thing his mind let him do.

He pulled her shirt off.

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**- 27 hours later - **

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Sakura hadn't heard anything from Sasuke since yesterday. He didn't come home last night and it made her slightly worried.

Usually if he stays the night at the office, -he sometimes does that- he would call the house and inform them that he won't be coming home.

But yesterday, he did not.

There were no more people in the house except for herself and the servants. Somehow, Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha found it irritating to be in the same house as she did so they went for their own home.

It was a relief for her though, now she could actually leave the room than being locked up in there all day. On the other hand, she was now utterly alone in Sasuke's mansion and the thought of her at night alone besides a handful servant freaked her out a little.

She couldn't talk to Ino as much as she wished to; so it was boring and lonely.

Until…

"Sakura! Sakuraaaaa!"

It was the same platinum blond she was thinking about just a second ago that was screaming. Not in a 'Help-I'm-in-danger' kind of way but rather 'Where-are-you-I-need-to-talk!'.

The pink haired was quietly in the garden, her favorite place in the house now, and walked towards the noise. She met the blond on the way, right at the pool -the one Sasuke asked Karin to marry, ironically enough- and she was all hysterical. Sakura, confused as to why she was making such a fuzz, pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose and asked her what was wrong.

"Y-you won't believe it!" She yelled out of breath.

"I won't believe what?"

Ino blinked, took a good inhale of oxygen before she spoke another word. "K-Karin… she has returned!"

Sakura's mouth dropped of shock at hearing the news in disbelief.

"Y-you're kidding… right?"

"I wish I was."

K-Karin's b-b-back? She's back? As in, back into Sasuke's life?

Suddenly it struck her. All fell in place. That's why Sasuke hadn't come home last night. He was with Karin and she was with him.

They were…

_Together. Again._

She blinked repeatedly, and for a purpose. Fighting back hot tears that were having a war to be released from their warm cage.

"Sakura… are you ok?" Ino looked worried to her best friend.

"I-I'm fine. This," She sniffed. "Only helps me with my d-decision I should've made a long time ago."

"What's that?"

Sakura's emerald moist eyes met baby blue ones. Determination was visible now.

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- **One week later - **

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It hurts more than anything that Sasuke had only returned back late yesterday night since he had gone to office a week ago. He was home, yet they still haven't seen each other. She knew that he was in the house because Ino came rushing into her room, telling her about it. He was avoiding her, that much she could tell. And if it wasn't bad enough that Sasuke was avoiding her, it was that his parents decided to come today.

Why today of all the other days?

"Um, Sakura, you sure you are going to do this?" The Yamanaka couldn't believe this was happening. Then again, she never thought that Sasuke would ever notice Sakura being alive, neither did she thought that he would ever marry her. But that it would eventually lead to this was beyond believe.

_Sakura's leaving him._

And not the other way around. But she, the one who dreamt to be _with_ Sasuke was leaving.

"Are you telling me that I should stay?" Sakura's face was grim, and a bit flushed of the tears that now subdued.

Ino said nothing in response, and only flicked her eyes down.

"I thought so." Sakura grabbed the single bag, walked out of her room down the stairs. She was ready to leave, out of Sasuke's life and back into her old very much messed up life, but it was for the best. It was hard to let go of somebody like Sasuke, because even though he had treat her badly and all that, and with that along came his family, she knew he was still a good man, one who needed help in more than one ways.

And knowing Sakura, it was in her nature, to help anybody she could. Especially if the one she wants to help is the one she loves. She sighed, knowing that this was for her own greater good, -although she never acted for herself, she found it selfish- and she was tired of being ignored and neglected like this.

She opened the door, and to her own disbelief, she met face to face with no other then Uchiha Fugaku and his wife.

It didn't even take a second for him to get the usual glare he specially set for her, etched on his face.

Sakura, surprised that his parents were in front of the door, stood frozen on spot. Apparently they just arrived and they hadn't even the time to either knock or rang the bell.

He raised an eyebrow when he took her form in, eyes falling on the bag in her hand. "Going somewhere?" He growled.

"I-I was-"

"What's going on?" There wasn't a greater time for _him_ to appear. His voice drew the attention of the three towards him.

To Sakura's horror Sasuke wasn't alone. His friends were here with him. The usual two who were most of the time with Sasuke, -she could easily recognize them as they stood on either side of him. And that were Naruto and Kiba.

The other three though, she did not know their names. One was tall, at least as tall as Sasuke and was therefore taller than all the others except for the Uchiha himself. They could have passed as twins because he was looking as impassive as Sasuke was. He had long dark brown hair that made her have the desire to drink a good cup of coffee. The weirdest about him was that his eyes were lavender of color and had no pupils.

The other one besides the tall dark brown haired male was one that seemed funny to the eyes. A bowl cut with creepy big round orbs and was wearing some full body-length green spandex, and several orange socks above his legs and arms. He came very near to looking like a circus clown.

And then there was the last one she didn't know. He was hanging against the wall and looked around utterly bored. Spiky hair pulled in a high ponytail and was barely keeping himself from falling asleep.

"Your wife here is trying to run away. I bet with some of your belongings too." Fugaku shot to his youngest son.

Sasuke's features hardly changed, if not at all. He kept his face overall blank and after a quiet moment or two, he walked to her. All the eyes following his every move.

"You're leaving?" He asked, no emotion in his voice whatsoever. He kept his tone flat, just as his eyes.

They were looking at her different now, colder than before, less than before, harder than before.

"I-I heard that Karin has returned." She replied ever so softly. "My purpose here is done."

"What? That redhead is back? Since when?" Fugaku interrupted without so much as caring. A bit offended that he was the last to know. Sasuke ignored his father for the moment. He would deal with him later. Mikoto did and said nothing.

"A-and I was more miserable here than when I was working for you as a maid. Yes… I was poor a-and invisible and I never would've think that I ever wished being that again in my entire life. Definitely not if I am m-married to you." Her voice broke, her eyes looked down, hiding the salt liquid within from him. "I guess the speaking 'look out what you wish for' is true after all. That's why I'm leaving." She murmured, only he was able to hear the very last part.

She never had been more surprised in her life, -not even when he asked her to marry him- when she felt his hand came in touch with her cheek, and actually lingered there. Not moving.

Her face shot up to see his empty onyx orb staring down at her.

"If you want to leave," He began, no sorrow or pity or disagreement in his voice.

Only coldness. "Then leave."

His words shocked _and_ broke her more than his actions. He was just… letting her go. Just like that.

But of course… naturally. What else should she expect?

This was it. Because Karin has returned.

She held in her sobs. She wasn't going to cry in front of 9 witnesses, instead she was going to walk out of here with her head held high. Her gaze bypassed Ino who stood at the bottom of the stairs Sakura just came off of when she left her room, her expression was sad. There were no other words that could be spoken, so she turned on her heel, meeting Fugaku's glare and somehow Mikoto's soft look that almost could be called sympathy.

This was the last time she will set foot in the Uchiha mansion.

Sakura sighed… and left.

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"So your ex-fiancée has returned, huh?" Fugaku asked quite calmly to his son who stood in front of the little group of men.

"Hn."

"What happened to the baby she was caring and its father?"

Sasuke hated to think about Tatiana Kiki, and the fact that he impregnated her, but replied anyway. "She removed the baby." He answered tonelessly. "And the father is gone. That's all that there's to it."

"Let me get this straight; you are back with her?" One of Fugaku's eyebrows crooked in questioning.

"Yes."

"Are you sure that's a good thing, honey?" Mikoto, who was quieter than usual, asked concerned.

"Nonsense Mikoto," Fugaku answered for Sasuke, surprising the whole room. "She's better than that stealing, lying servant."

The female Uchiha snapped her gaze to her husband. Was Fugaku really ok with the fact that Sasuke is back with Sarina Karin, even though she had run away with another man on their wedding and practically humiliated the Uchiha family? Was he really?

Fugaku probably chooses Karin over somebody like Sakura any day. And he does. It is proven right now that he would rather see his son with Sarina Karin -another millionaire- than a poor woman as Sakura.

Mikoto found it strange from herself, because even that has turned out that Sasuke actually does love Karin, and they may be a match from heaven judged from another's eyes, she on the contrary, couldn't find the reason why she would _disagree_. If she could tell the truth, -and she couldn't even believe she was thinking this- she was having an inkling that she wants Sasuke to be with Sakura, of all people.

Why? She asked herself.

Because even she could see that Sakura _cared_. Not much that she could say about Karin, reviewing upon her previous actions.

"I'm just saying that you should be careful." Mikoto replied after a delay.

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"Now what Sasuke-teme? Are you going to marry her?" The Uzumaki asked while playing Playstation.

"No."

"Whutz shakin'? I thought ya 'loved' da thong?" Kiba was half struggling with Naruto so he would lose the game.

"That doesn't mean I'm instantly marrying her." Sasuke sat at some lounge watching the two fight, while sipping from his drink.

"And you should not. Since you still can't trust her. Who knows what's she's doing right now. Or rather _who_ she's doing." Neji frowned, sitting right across of him.

"She isn't doing anyone." Sasuke started to create a glare towards the Hyuuga. "She couldn't be stupid by doing that twice."

"Are you sure?" Shikamaru questioned while staring at the ceiling. "Women like Sarina Karin are like men, they will lower their skirt with every chance they got and while at it, keep deceiving the chicken with the golden eggs at home every time he mistrusts her. Ah, those kind women are all one word; troublesome."

"Of course you say that, Shikamaru." Lee responded on his comment. "You find everything troublesome, I say that everyone on this earth deserves a second chance. So does she."

"I tell you, gay-ass talk." Naruto whispered to Kiba, who only nodded in agreement.

"I heard that Uzumaki Naruto!" He snarled at the blond. "But my point is that the lovely woman should not be put into such a position of mistrust. So she had made a mistake, you don't see all the females split the world in half to get away from you just because you guys also lie and cheat."

Everybody turned still and turned their heads towards Lee with glares on all their faces. Even Shikamaru looked up to do so.

"Unlike females," Naruto said. "We don't get pregnant and announce it before five hundred men and undergo a total humiliation. When we cheat, we at least do them the favor and lie about it behind their backs so they won't get such an embarrassment." He spoke slowly, beating Neji into talking, who was just about to shot Lee a nasty reply.

The game went on behind the two big babies without even noticing. Until they heard; 'Player 1, Game Over'

Kiba snapped his attention back to the big ass screen. "Fuck no! Man! I can't believe this shit, I lost!"

Naruto turned to him and grinned evilly. "Ha! Serves you right if you even dare to beat me in my own game!"

"Oh yeah?" Kiba dared again. "Ya wanna take it one more round, snizzle?"

"Why do we keep them around them around again?" Neji questioned in the background. Looking quite irritated to the gaming duo, who were once again at it to see who would win this time.

"Because Naruto is like Sasuke's Siamese twin and Kiba… we just needed a troublesome person so he can entertain the other troublesome person if the blond troublesome person wasn't troubling his twin, now they can do troublesome things together."

Neji, Sasuke and Lee raised a brow towards the so called genius.

"I thought Lee was filling the purpose of being the 'troublesome' one." The Hyuuga stated without changing his impassive façade in the slightest.

"Hey!"

"Kiba took over." Sasuke answered just as stoic.

"Hello, I'm not troublesome!"

"They could be both. Who are we to choose between the two?" Shikamaru added.

"You guys, I'm not troublesome!"

"Oh yeah!" A yell came. "Who's the best? Who's the best? Who's the best?" Naruto beamed, singing it like a mantra. Making a little victory dance after beating Kiba again in the game.

-

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* * *

"Sasuke?" Karin asked while flipping a page of some magazine.

"Hn?" He sounded.

"This wife of yours, who is she exactly?"

Sasuke looked up from what he was doing. His eyes were on Karin but his mind was somewhere else. He hadn't thought about Sakura since she left here.

That, by the way, was almost 2 months ago. Was she actually ok? He asked himself. Had she found another job?

Wait, he doesn't need to care. Sakura was gone. She decided to leave herself, what was actually a good thing since he didn't know how he would get her out of his house by himself.

She left him by her own will. That was a complete other story than if he had chased her out of the house. Was there even a woman out there that wanted to go out of Uchiha Sasuke's life willingly?

Apparently Sakura had proven so.

He knew that it must've been hard for her because she loved him. Or so she proclaimed. Yet something kept nudging him in the back of his mind. What him annoyed the most, lately, was that if she _really_ loved him, like she said to him that she did, then she would've stayed. Wouldn't every woman keep clinging to the man they love? So if she really had feelings for him, then she probably would've begged him on her knees to stay with her, for her to stay with him, and that, in the end, _he_ should have been the one that needed to drag her out of his house.

If she really had serious feelings for him, then he should have been the one that should've dragged her out of his house. She wasn't supposed to go willingly. If she really wished to be with him then she should've begged on her knees, -like most women would- for him to stay with her.

One who really loves someone doesn't give up that easily like she did.

But why the fuck should he care? He doesn't. He does not. Because he is back with the one _he_ truly loved, and Sakura was merely a distraction. Nothing more.

Nothing. More. Nothing. Less.

Has his heart really turned cold for the woman now, which very shortly before Karin's arrival, had whole other thoughts about? Because either way, what could've been of them if Karin had _not_ come in that day?

Then he wouldn't have stayed a week apart from her.

Then he would've gone home, to her.

Then he would've talked to her.

Then he would've said what he… _felt_ for her…

What if?

No. _This_ is what he wanted. He wanted Karin, always had. Sakura did what he asked her to, let him forget about Karin. But now she has returned and in the whole three months that he was married to Sakura he still wanted, desired, longed for one person.

And that was Karin.

He shouldn't worry about Sakura. She's a grown up woman who can survive such a childish crush. She just needs to realize that he wasn't _the one_.

He wasn't Sakura's love of her life.

And she was not his.

The _only_ woman for him was sitting right in front of him.

Sakura was… Just a person from the past.

"Nobody. She was nobody." He answered.

"She couldn't be a nobody since you married her. You have a precise choice of your decision Sasuke. You _know_ what you choose."

_Does he? Did he?_

"She used to be a maid here." He stated, turning back to what he was doing.

"Ha, a maid? _You_ married a maid? She must've been a looker if you married a maid. Speaking of which at least it couldn't have been that ugly pink haired loser."

_Uhm…_

"What's her name?"

"Whose?"

"Your wife's, of course."

"Why?"

"Oh, just… for knowing."

Sasuke was considering to not tell the woman, but what could it hurt? Karin was somebody who doesn't even like thinking about females and him together, definitely not about a woman whom he spent three months with. That he was _married_ for three months with.

"Haruno," He said simply, shrugging it off. "Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno? Wait… you're not telling me that you seriously married that geek who spilled water on my perfect expensive D&G's?" Her eyes shifted from the magazine.

"Karin-"

"Oh my god! You married her! Isn't she then now like an… _Uchiha_?" It came out as a snarl. "Uchiha… what's that loser's name again? Sakura? Uchiha Sakura?"

Hearing it from another's mouth made it sound strange to his ears. He had once repeated her name over and over in his head.

_Uchiha Sakura…_

_Uchiha Sakura…_

_Uchiha Sasuke's wife… Sakura. _

And then suddenly it was _just_ a name. A very meaningful name, a very valuable name that was deemed to be yours forever once you've got it, and now, she was going to lose it. Because, right now, he has his Karin back. Sakura wasn't going to stay with the Uchiha name very much longer. She'll probably be the first Uchiha in history that lost the name.

But what the hell? She wasn't even a _real_ Uchiha. She wasn't even the real thing.

It was a pretend. It was fake. A façade. To make him forget. It was merely to show the world that he was Uchiha Sasuke, and that he could get over the woman who stole his heart, and just as easily take said heart back and give it to another.

But unlike Karin, Sakura did not get his heart…

_Not on time, anyway._

"When are you going to divorce her?"

Divorce.

Did people in Uchiha family ever _divorce_?

Who would be insane enough to divorce any Uchiha?

Being an Uchiha was like being of noble blood, being royalty. And everybody wanted to be royalty unless they already were. Even the royalties wanted to be an Uchiha. Carrying that name alone could get respect from everybody everywhere you stand. You would be praised, honored, adored and envied. You will be treated with great respect, doesn't matter how you look or smell, an Uchiha stays an Uchiha and they were the best of the best. They deserved, and very well paid, for the best. Uchihas came to the level of being a god. There were as much people who despise the Uchiha family, as well as loved, and no matter what you believed in, an Uchiha you wanted to be anyway.

Definitely if you are _the_ heir of the Uchiha family.

And that's why nobody ever wanted to divorce from an Uchiha.

But she had to. He was with another woman now. Another woman who he's planning to bear his future Uchihas with.

"Soon."

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* * *

- **One month later - **

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Three months.

Three months has gone by, and they were now actually 6 months married.

What would other couples do if they were in their places?

Probably being glued together, has romantic dinners in moonlight and roses together, watch movies together, sleep together…

_Make love together…_

Sakura sighed, as alone as she was in her little house right now. Ino helped her paying for this mouse hole for three months now, until Sakura finds a job to pay it herself again.

So far, she didn't found any.

She was reading a book, one that was dramatic and sad and she had the hardest time not to cry at the words that she read. Whether it was about the book or Sasuke she really didn't now.

But the telephone went.

Now Sakura isn't a person who even has a television. Too expensive. But a telephone is necessary. With that an answering machine. The answering machine was a present from her best friend actually. She was sick of calling Sakura without able to give her a message.

She didn't let the telephone fall into answering machine. Instead she picked up. Talking with as much as a steady voice she could manage.

"Hello?"

"_Sakura_."

She never thought that he would even think about her, much less call her. She bet that while she was here, in her old damp place, crying her poor little eyeballs out, he was there in his amazingly warm mansion, not thinking about her once at all, and enjoying his time he spent with Karin.

Her voice broke at hearing him. "Sasuke…" She inhaled, sharply. "W-why are you calling?"

He stayed silent at the other side of the line for quite some time, and just as she was about to ask if he was still there, he answered. "_We need to talk. About us_."

Sakura, naïve and full with hope as she was, felt a pang in her heart. A smile graced her lips and her sadness was drifted away in a second.

"A-about us?" She asked one time, wanting to hear it exactly if it wasn't about something else.

"_Yes. I…_" He slightly trailed off. "_A divorce, Sakura_."

She stood still.

"_We're going to divorce_."

-

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* * *

- **2 week later - **

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Ino came by last night. And she had told her everything about the divorce Sasuke asked. She didn't need a lawyer, thank God, since… well… since the marriage isn't… well…

_Consummated. _

She only needed to sign some papers and that was it. The only thing was… 2 weeks has past and there were still no papers at her door.

Weird. She thought that Sasuke would've been in a hurry to divorce her. With Karin and all breathing down his neck to do it.

Ino asked where Sasuke got her telephone number, after interrogating her with questions like; 'How was he on the phone?' Like usual. Impassive, duh.

Sakura didn't had an idea actually where he got her number, but then again, he was Uchiha Sasuke, a businessman that could get information about anybody he wanted to, so it wasn't probably that hard with his connections.

After that Ino had left, and now with a divorce in mind, she felt more lonelier than before.

Was it because she missed the self implied 'company' of Sasuke?

Was it because she devoted all her love and passion towards Sasuke that all is left is sorrow and… Emptiness?

It felt horrible.

She doesn't even know now why she had ever agreed to do this. She knew Sasuke would never love her, yet she told herself that some day, maybe just some day, he might love her back.

What an idiotic fool she has been by lying herself that.

Now she ended up exactly where she began. Alone and workless.

Only this time there were two things added;

Divorcing and… Heartbroken.

She let out another sob when suddenly a knock stole her next river of tears. Standing up from her bed-slash-couch she went to open the front door.

A gasp escaped her throat in both shock and slight fear when she saw who it was.

Two men, very tall men, dressed in black suits with matching colored sunglasses, looked down upon her. One black haired, the other blond.

They seemed like people from the secret service or something.

Very intimidating and really scary.

"Haruno Sakura?" The one with the short black hair asked, with that same kind of secret service like voice.

"Or should we rather say; Uchiha… Sakura?" The one with the vague dark blond hair corrected.

The pink haired woman swallowed. "Y-yes?" She squeaked.

"You're coming with us." The black haired ordered tonelessly.

"W-why?" She was damn well afraid.

"We were sent by a very important person, madam. One you better not ignore the request if you know what is best for you." The blond one responded.

"An important p-person? Who m-may that b-be?"

"If you come with us quietly, madam, you'll soon know." The black haired male opened the door of the black BMW with tinted dark glasses.

Was it wisely to enter a car with two strange men all by herself? Or was it not, if they were looking like CIA people.

And besides that, a very important person was inviting her to come. Who, that could be an anybody, wanted to see somebody as insignificant as her?

There was only one way to find out, and that was to step in the car.

She just did that after closing her front door behind her.

-

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* * *

It was a drive of fifteen minutes. It was quiet in the car, as she sat behind the two Men-In-Black wannabe's. She didn't had the courage to nicely ask them if they could turn on the radio, just to break the tense silence that hung in the car.

A bee like sting, pained her heart when they passed the Uchiha's company head building.

To her surprise, they drove onto the grounds of a huge yellow-slash-orange villa. Golden fence protected the estates that belonged to this complexion and eventually she lost sight of the fence as it went on and on behind some very well cared bushes and trees.

"We are here, madam." The blonde one stated, getting her full attention from gazing around the place.

"If you would follow our footsteps." The black haired added and they walked over, with her right on their tails, towards the honey colored double front door.

The two knocked four times unison, each on one door, and a minute later, the right side of the double doors opened.

A man in a grey suit with a red tie appeared. And unlike the two secret service weirdoes, this one actually smiled. He had a warm overcome, if she could tell the truth. With short hair as white as snow, little grey eyes that smiled just as his lips, he stared at her.

He probably had to be something in his 50's or 60's.

"Welcome, welcome," He said, much more friendlier tone than the other two. "I'm Jeeves. The butler."

Sakura almost choked in her own salvia. He was a butler? He didn't look like one. He was so different than the butlers at the Uchiha household.

Jeeves' grey eyes wondered to the other two. "Thank you, gentlemen, for bringing her safely."

"Ah, you don't have to be so formal gramps." The blond one grinned, his tone completely changed, from creepy serious to playful now. He took off his black sunglasses for the first time and eyes as grey as the butler's revealed themselves.

"You know we do anything in a heartbeat."

"Yeah, it was fun by the way." Also the black haired took his sunglasses off.

More little grey eyes came in her sight.

The black haired turned to Sakura. "Forgive us if we scared you earlier. But we were sent to get you here and convince you to come along with two strange men. This was the only way we could think of. By the way, I'm Michael, and this is Mitchell, my brother."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. They were brother? They sure didn't look nothing alike except for the eyes.

"And this is our grandfather." Mitchell, the blond one, pointed to Jeeves.

Explains a lot with the same eyes they all seem to share.

"I'm-"

"Come now," Jeeves interrupted Sakura. "Enough with the introductions." He kept smiling though. "You are being expected, Miss. And we wasted a lot of time standing here. My master does not like waiting."

He looked to his grandsons that were both grinning now.

"You two go groove or moonwalk or whatever you kids do these days." He shooed them away and they laughed at his attempt of guessing what was 'in' currently.

He closed the right side of the double door when the two boys left and Sakura has entered.

She looked around, seeing on the ground huge initials 'S.T.' printed in golden letter in the floor.

A huge chandelier right above it.

"If you do not mind, Miss," Jeeves pulled the pink haired back to present time. "Follow me to the one who is waiting, please."

Sakura nodded shortly, not much that she could do then to walk after him. They didn't went very far through this amazing house, because a turn here and one there, they stood before another honey colored closed door.

Jeeves knocked shortly for her. "Ahem, your guest has arrived."

There came no response but he opened the door anyway. "You can go right in, Miss." He smiled warmly to her then turned on heel and left.

She turned her emerald eyes covered behind thick red glasses back to the half opened honey colored door, took in a severe amount air then lifted her feet to enter. The room seemed more like a office than an actual room. There were many old looking books on shelves against the wall.

Right before her was a desk with a huge cream colored office chair that was facing the window, thus the back towards her. Hiding the one that she assumed was sitting in it and was awaiting for her.

"Um…" She said when she saw the back of the grand office chair, one that reminded her of mafia movies that the 'godfather' would sit in with a big cigar in his right hand, a plate spaghetti before him and several guns hidden in his lap.

That was not a good thought, she noted and got a tad nervous about it.

It was not a godfather.

"I'm…" Unsure what name to use, she stated the name that was now legally hers. "Uchiha Sakura. Y-you invited me here?"

There came a short chuckle, added by; "_Uchiha _Sakura, ne? Whatever happened to Haruno?"

Sakura's eyes went wide.

-

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* * *

"Oh, Sasuke!" Karin moaned in delight. "I've missed you so much!" She kissed his chest that was still sweaty, and that rose and fell with every panting breath he took.

He said nothing, but only pulled Karin close to him, her body heat, warmer than normal, added with his own.

"I missed everything of you. Your hair, your eyes, your shoulders, your chest, your stomach, your hips... Oh your hips, and of course your big, amazingly delicious, hard-"

"Karin," Sasuke cut her short, his tone indifferent. "When did you remove the baby?"

She wiped her red hair that was slightly wet from her face to make him clear that she was starting to frown. "Is this the right time to talk about that?"

"Yes." His eyes demanded it.

She sighed. "I took the abortion on the very last moment before it was impossible, I didn't want it."

"Then why did you ran away with Tatiana? On our wedding day?" He spat out his name.

Sasuke stood up from the bed, immediately grabbing a towel and put it around his hips to cover himself.

Karin half rose from the bed, keeping the sheets against the upper half of her body. "Sasuke, I don't want to tell you this but… he forced me to run away with him. If I didn't then…" She trailed off, looking away.

It was a lie, Tatiana Kiki didn't force her, he would never. But she will do whatever it takes to have Sasuke believe in her. And he did.

Sasuke's voice went lower, his eyes turned softer. "You were intending to come back?"

Karin blinked.

'_Lie! Do whatever it takes.' _

"Yes."

"Then I was a fool by marrying that woman."

Karin mentally smiled. _'He bought it. Che, men, such idiots once they fall in love. Like pawns in the palm of my hands.' _

"Sasuke," She created a pout, sad-like expression, while walking with the sheets around her body towards him. "Forget about her. We are back together and that's all that's relevant." She gently planted a kiss on his bare shoulder.

Sasuke leaned in, brushed her cheek with the back of his hands lightly. "Hn."

-

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* * *

Sakura was shocked to hear a woman's voice reach her ears.

"What?" Her tone was softly, wondering if this faceless woman even heard her.

"Did you change your name?"

"I… I…" Sakura stuttered.

"And to choose '_Uchiha_' of all names." S-she knew the name Uchiha? Naturally, who doesn't? Even so, why did she kind of spat the name out like that?

"Such a shame." The woman continued. "But I understand your reasons why you've changed it. 'Haruno' is such an unimportant name."

"What?" Anger rose in Sakura's body now. "I don't know who you think you are but you have no right to insult the Haruno name like that!"

Silence was brought to the room after her little snap. It also brought more agitation to Sakura's nerves.

The chair turned, agonizing slowly, showing Sakura who the unfamiliar woman is.

"Then I shall inform you right at this moment who I exactly am." A smirk on her red lips.

"I am your mother."

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**A/N: Her mother? I thought she was an orphan! **

**Yes, she was. But I will explain it in the next chapter. Her mother has entered this story because she is very important from now on. **

**Ah, yeah I know. Boring chapter with a very lousy attempt to a cliffhanger. I found this a very nice way to end it. So like it… or don't. **

**Either way, I love you all for those who reviewed that actually gave their opinion the last time, and I will not stop you from doing it again. **

**Thank you all. I wish I could sent chips, dips and chocolate to you.**

**R & R**

**Yay. **

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'_God made women beautiful and foolish. Beautiful; that man might love her. And foolish; that she might love him back.' - _**Friedrich Nietzsche **

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_To be continued_

_Stay tuned for next time, Same Site, Same Story._


	8. Déjà Vu

**A/N: Ano, I'm tired. Tired, tired, so so tired. Like, you have no idea how tired I am. But you must know how much I love you all and I still manage update this. The chapter wasn't ready until 1 hour ago and jeez, I'm tired. **

**So beware for a very boring chapter. **

**Ah, I want to thank ááááll of you who reviewed. I love you so, so, **_**sooooooo**_** much, you have no idea of how much I appreciate it. **

**Disclaimer****; **_**Naruto**_**… yeah think again. Never. Or any of the brands in here. **

**Re-checked…**

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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'_Because I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away. And I breathe you, into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today. Because I love you…' - _**Daniel Beddingfield. 'If you're not the one'**

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"Then I shall inform you who I exactly am. I am your mother."

It was quiet for at least five whole second. Until the silence was followed by a gasp.

"M-my… wha-?"

"Your mother." The woman repeated.

"N-no… impossible." Sakura stammered. "M-my parents died in an accident when I was a baby." Her lips quivered. She didn't really miss her parents. How could you miss something that you never had, or, in her case, never knew? It was the thoughts and feelings of her being alone in this entire world that had hurt her for years. She, too, wanted family. She, too, wanted somebody that loved her. Anybody that loved her.

'_Not even Sasuke loved me…' _

"That was what you've been told when you were a child." The woman spoke. "The truth is… there's a whole other reality behind it. I am truly your mother. And you, Sakura, are a heir."

"A heir? What the… I don't get the meaning of this. I am a heir? Of what? And you are my mother? Who are you? I don't even know your name!"

The unfamiliar woman closed her eyes, sighed, before reopening them. "I am Senju Tsunade, and you are the heir to the Senju clan."

"W-w-what? Senju Tsunade?" That name though, wasn't unfamiliar to her, as much to half of the world, she knew exactly who she was.

'_Explains the initials S.T in the entrance hall.' _

"Y-you're _the_ Senju Tsunade? A-as in the one who practically owns h-half the industry of Japan? _That _Senju?" Sakura's voice trembled.

The blonde woman nodded once, meanwhile blinking slowly. "And five percent of China's industry."

"N-no way. Not possible. Y-you are kidding me. You are playing. No. No, just… no."

"I am very serious, Sakura. I am your biological mother and whether you like it or not, you _are_ the heir to the Senju clan."

"N-no.. this is too much for me. I need to lie down." Her head was starting to feel light and dizzy. The whole room was already starting to spin.

"Whoa, Sakura," The blonde woman rose from her seat, seeing the bad condition of the pink haired female. "Stay with me."

Tsunade reached her, holding her up at her shoulders.

"Don't touch me!" Sakura pushed her away, her hand accidentally landing on her right bosom, which felt pretty… grown.

Her left hand went to her brow, holding it there and tightened her eyes close.

"Sakura." Tsunade called.

Said woman didn't answer.

Tsunade repeated her name. "Go sit down in my chair." It didn't sound as a request, but rather a command.

Sakura did what she was told, vaguely feeling her way towards the chair.

It was only after an hour that Sakura had feel better.

"Are you ok?" Amber eyes, a bit hard and slightly worried looked down on her.

"Yes… I'm fine. The shock just got to me." Sakura groaned, grasping her forehead again.

"You're ready for the rest?"

Sakura's emerald orbs shot up to the woman that claimed to be her mother. "The rest of what?"

"The rest of my story, thus your history." A smirk on her red painted lips.

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* * *

Sunlight fell through the ceiling high windows. A balcony door was wide open, letting a light breeze fill the huge room they were sitting in. The smell of English tea filled her nostrils.

"If you say I'm the heir of the Senju family, then how come I fell into the system?"

Tsunade poured the hot liquid in a Japanese costumed teacup. "It was not meant for you at all to even come to America when you were born."

Sakura stopped whirling the small spoon in the tea, not costumed to drink any different. "I was not?"

"No. You were born in Tokyo and lived in Roppongi Hills for three months, with more money than half of the country. But," Here's where he voice grew dark. "There were people that didn't want you to be born. Let alone for you grow up and live."

"What?" She was shocked again. The expensive looking teacup almost falling out of her hands. "Why? Who?"

"My grandfather, Senju Hashirama, was the one who owned all the belongings we have now, and for years the competition wanted to buy off some of the companies. But my grandfather wouldn't sell. And so, nobody else in the Senju clan would. After he died, he, of course, left a will, which says that the next first born will become the heir of the Senju clan and with that inherit twenty-five million American dollars that he has hid away from the clan." Tsunade took in a breath, observing Sakura's expression well. "You could probably imagine that the whole clan was upset. The money was hidden in Switzerland and can only be returned to the only Senju with the latest birth certificate and my grandfather's will. And you are the first born. You, Sakura, own twenty-five million dollars, including the rest of the clan's money and all the industry."

…

Silence.

…

Shock.

"I… I… simply own twenty-five million d-dollars?"

"Actually more. While you grew up in impoverishment, you are in reality one of the richest women Japan." Tsunade said it casually. Taking another sip of her tea.

"A-and… does that mean that my real n-name is Senju Sakura?" Her voice was barely louder than a squeak of a mouse.

"It was supposed to be. But since people were after your death, we gave you 'Haruno', and shipped you off to America."

She blinked. "Does the name Haruno mean anything? Is it also such an important clan?"

Tsunade shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid not. Haruno… was your father's name."

"M-my father? Who is he? Where is he?"

A smile graced her face. The first one Sakura her seen van her mother.

"Your father's name was Haruno Dan, member of a clan that was as irrelevant as it was insignificant. But I fell in love with him anyway. He had the most deep green eyes I've ever seen in my life. You've got his eyes, just as I wanted you to have."

"Um… _was_ his name?" Sakura couldn't help but notice. And regretted to say it when Tsunade's face went sad.

"Yes. He died in San Francisco. A car accident. A drunken man went through red."

"Oh," She didn't know what else to say. "I'm sorry…"

"Let's not go further into that. Do you have any more questions?"

Sakura frowned, a thinking position. "Yeah, um… why did I get pink hair?" She grabbed one of her locks. "You are clearly blond."

"Ha!" The woman chuckled. "Believe me, nobody in the Senju clan has pink hair. But I do believe that your father's sister had pink hair too. So I guess it runs in the family."

"I've still got one question though." Sakura went serious. "Why did I never hear of you before? For twenty-one years I thought I was alone on this world without any family left."

Tsunade closed her eyes briefly, sighing she looked down. "We wanted to wait until you were eighteen, when the thread of killing you has completely fade away and then you would be old enough to return, and become the head of the clan and with that the owner of all the industry. Only when we came to search you, we didn't find you at the location we have sent you to. And that was New York. Nobody knew how this happened. And we searched for you for three years through entire America. It was only last month that we have heard from one of our private investigators that you were here, in Miami. It was a bit easier to find you then, since suddenly you married the heir of another very well known and rich clan. You married Uchiha Sasuke."

"You know them?"

"Well, of course. They are a high rank of best clans in Japan, just like us. The investigators informed me well of everything about you. I find it too bad though that I couldn't be at my own daughter's wedding. But I am clearly on time of you leaving your husband and just in time before you lost your small rat-hole because you're workless. But I can say that you had quite a catch, marrying an Uchiha. Very well."

Somehow Sakura felt a punch in her gut again at hearing his name. The word 'divorce' ran through her mind. "It was more a living hell than a marriage. I guess you know the Uchiha name also because of their famous company." She murmured.

"Yeah, that and I used to be friends with Mikoto before I got pregnant of you."

Sakura's jaw dropped as she stared shocked to the amber eyed female. "Really?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. I've seen Itachi when he was six and Sasuke when he was two. They were such sweet little boys. And boy, that Itachi was a smart one. Then suddenly I see them on the television being all tall and handsome and so fine. If I was your age I would admire them too. And you actually married Sasuke, how convenient."

"It wasn't that convenient." Sakura muttered under her breath, breaking the eye contact to look into the tea in her hands.

"Yes, but that's for another time," Apparently, Tsunade hasn't heard the last part of her. "Sakura, I need to ask you something."

She looked back to the blonde, blinking. "Go ahead."

"Do you fully accept to be the heir of the Senju clan and the owner of all the industry?"

The pink haired stared long into Tsunade's hard determined eyes. The words she spoke were deadly serious.

Now was the moment she needs to be true with herself. She was sick and tired of living like this. She was sick and tired of being poor and alone.

She squared her shoulders, eyes turning as hard as the blonde's. "Yes."

Tsunade broke into a grin. "Perfect. Then as of tomorrow your new life will start. As the heir of the Senju family."

"Wasn't it clan?"

"Same thing." Tsunade shrugged indifferently.

-

-

-

* * *

**- Next Day, Uchiha Mansion- **

**

* * *

  
**

"I can't believe that red haired whore has returned." Marina growled in the maids room while combing her long black hair. "I rather see that little pink nerd thsn her. At least Sasuke didn't do anything with that thief."

"She isn't a thief or a nerd, Marina. So watch your mouth." Ino shot angrily back at her.

"Oh, calm down, Blondie. Everybody knows that the lost jewelry were between her belongings. Wouldn't you accuse her if you find your stuff between hers?"

"No, because I know Sakura better than that. She wouldn't touch anything, only if she gets permission."

"Yeah, that's what you say." Marina scoffed irritated. "Anyway, I won't waste my thoughts and breath talking about that pathetic excuse of a woman."

Ino glared.

"I say, that Sakura was a better wife for Sasuke than Karin will ever be." Some unfamiliar chubby maid spoke.

"Yeah, I don't even get what Mr. Uchiha sees in Sarina Karin. She's just a nice looking woman with a nasty attitude." Another maid in the corner replied.

"Ah, shut he hell up, both of you. The only one who's perfect for Uchiha Sasuke is _me._" Marina sneered, shooting a glare to the two woman. "Say one more word about Sasuke and that useless twit, it will be your last."

The two obeyed silently, afraid of Marina and her angry glowing eyes.

"You can't threaten everyone who disagrees with y-"

"Sssshh." Marina silent Ino.

"What? Why?" Perfect eyebrows of Ino's, knit together in frustration.

"I said, sssshh."

Marina stood up from the edge of her bed and walked over to the half open door, putting her ear to it.

Ino rose as well, purely out of curiosity.

"Sasuke, when are you going to divorce her?" It was Karin who spoke, but the maids knew that their boss wasn't home. That only means that she was on the phone.

"You told me you didn't even fuck that rat, so you can just cancel the marriage." They could clearly hear the suppressed anger in her voice.

Ino, who stood with the bunch of other maids at the door eavesdropping, pressed her nails into her palms by hearing how she called her best friend.

"What do you mean it's taking time? It's just a scratch of yours on a paper, how much of your precious time will that take of your so called office duties? Do you really need her autograph and a lawyer and all those shit you just mentioned?"

Marina grinned a bit, there couldn't be anything better than this. As long as Sasuke was married to Sakura he couldn't marry that redhead witch.

"Sasuke, I thought you loved only me." A short silence. "You do? Then divorce her as quickly as possible. Oh, and baby… can I borrow your Ferrari today do to some shopping with the girls?"

Karin giggled shortly after a couple of seconds. "Thanks baby, love you."

The maids behind the door heard a click, added by a sigh. The last thing that all heard was the sound of her heels clicking on the floor when she walked through the hallway.

"I'm saying," Marina turned from the door. "That bitch is using Sasuke. She doesn't really love him like I do."

Ino rolled her baby blue eyes. She needs to tell Sakura about this.

-

-

-

* * *

**- Senju Estate, Miami - **

**

* * *

  
**

"Sakura, today your life is going to change drastically. There's much to be done." Tsunade led the pink haired woman through several, still unfamiliar, hallways of this amazing villa.

Last night they talked about many things. About her childhood, about her favorite things, about her hobbies, but also about her love, Sasuke and her marriage.

Tsunade did know Fugaku, she was there with Mikoto and Fugaku's wedding, but she never would've thought that he was really such a bastard. He and Tsunade weren't friends, they were on first name basis, greetings and small talk, but never really talk, like Mikoto and her did. Besides, Fugaku didn't seem like a talkative person, either. And Sasuke, he was the worst of all. Treating her daughter that way, who does he even thinks he is? Just because he's an Uchiha, he thinks he can handle everybody the way he likes?

He will not get away with this.

"Like?" Sakura asked, pushing her glasses up when they halted before a closed door.

"You are a very smart woman, Sakura. I've noticed that since last night. But now that you accepted being the heir of the Senju clan there are some… measures that need to be taken." Tsunade said, still standing with her before the closed door.

"Measures…?" Sakura asked unsure.

"Yes, your knowledge is one thing, but your appearance is also important."

Confused, Sakura looked up to her. "My appearance?"

"Yes." The woman opened a honey-colored door, which turns out that every door in this villa is honey-colored, and stepped in. She slowly followed.

Upon stepping in also, she found two women sitting in there.

"Sakura, may I introduce you to Miguelina Ellus Santo Maria Rodriguez and Hinosyuri Tenten."

A woman with dyed blond hair and cute little hazel brown eyes grinned widely at her.

"Hola." She waved.

"Good day." The mocha eyed and coffee brown haired greeted politely.

"Hi." Sakura replied back to the both of them.

"Hola, muchacita, I'm yuur make-up artist, hair-stylist, nail-stylist, yuu name it." The dyed blond woman with the same wide grin said to her. Her accent was Spanish and funny to hear.

"And I'm the one who's going to teach you everything there needs to know about the Senju clan. What they own, who your rivals are, test your abilities, your strength and here to make you the perfect businesswoman in a short period of time." Said Tenten with a side-ways smile.

"Today I want you to begin with Miguelina. Your schedule is already planned for tomorrow with Tenten." Tsunade walked back to the door they just came in from minutes ago. "I'm leaving you in those wonder hands."

"Wait, where are you going?" Sakura asked as she saw her blonde mother go away.

"My time is precious, dear. But Tenten will eventually learn you all about it." When finished, she was out of the door.

"Ey, niña, pay attention to me." Miguelina snapped her fingers, earning exactly that was she requested for from the pink haired.

Sakura looked back to the obviously Spanish woman.

"So, niña, I'm the one who's going to work today with yuu." Her accent, thick as it was, made it very hard for Sakura not to giggle.

"Let me look at yuu, turn around." She made a circle with her finger in the air, a gesture to make her spin 360.

"Ai, tu eres hermosa!" She grinned. "Don't yuu think Teenteen?" She nudged the brown haired woman with the buns, at her ribs. "Don't yuu think she's hermosa?"

"Yeah, Miguelina." Tenten sweat dropped. "I find her pretty too."

Sakura got a pink blush on her cheeks. It was the first time somebody called her pretty.

"Oh, but those glasses goes out now." The blonde woman wouldn't stop grinning, and spoke in a rather joyful happy tone. "And yuur eyebrows, like ceeveman!"

Uh… this Spanish Miguelina easily broke all the flattery feeling she had for a second, while still smiling like this was the funniest thing in the world.

"Such nice colores de pelo… pink! How fascineeting." She took a lock between her digits. "But they are so dry and poofy and hard. I don't like. But no worrees, Miguelina esta aqui, to help yuu."

"Th… thanks? I think…" Sakura answered.

"Ai Dios!" Miguelina suddenly yelled, the grin shrinks, "Mira, those nails! No, no, no. They should be straight and painted, not dirty and bitteen."

"Um, Miguelina, I think-" But the woman with the dyed blond hair just went on, not even hearing Tenten at all.

"And yuur legs, needs wax, not shave. I dun want to know how many hair yuur flower has."

Both Tenten and Sakura turned into an unattractive tomato color when they knew what Miguelina meant with 'flower'.

"Miguelina!" Tenten stopped her. "Hehe… I-I think you had enough observation, let's just begin, shall we?" Finally Miguelina didn't talk any further.

"Si, si, yuur right, Teenteen. Let's. Vamos niña, follow me."

The three walked out of the room where they've been introduced and went all the way to the basement, which of course didn't look like any ordinary basement. But rather… a whole damn beauty salon.

Sakura 'oohed and aahed' and the size of this place.

"Yuu like? Señora Senju has made this especially for me. Because I've been in her service for many years."

"It's amazing." Sakura breathed out, still in awe.

"Si, yo se. But stop looking like una imbecile and get sit there." Miguelina pointed to one of her chairs.

Sakura obeyed.

"Ok, today we're going to start with simple things like yuur face." The happy tone never left her.

She took Sakura's glasses off of her face, as a result, Sakura narrowed her eyes and tried to see correctly.

"Dun do that." Miguelina commanded, still joyful as ever, and came closer to Sakura, continuing inspecting her face.

"Yuu have such buutiful ojos, por qué hide? Dun yuu wear… um…. Uuh… those things yuu put in yuur eyes to look better. What are they called again?" She quickly turned to Tenten and searched for the word.

"Contacts." She answered.

"Siii! That's what I mean. Why dun yuu wear those? Not everyone has green ojos as yuu!"

"I don't like them. The thought of touching my eyes seems-"

"Yuu're going to wear them starting mañana."

"She means, starting tomorrow." Tenten corrected and explained to Sakura.

"Wha-? I don't like contacts." Sakura squeaked.

"Listen, señorita, yuu will wear contactos… if yuu dun then-"

"But I don't want to wear them!" Sakura interrupted the woman.

Miguelina crunched her nose, it's the first time since Sakura has met her, that the smile was off of her face completely. She did not like the fact that the pink woman wasn't cooperating.

"Acercarse…"

Sakura looked at Tenten, not understanding a word what she's saying.

"Go to her."

To emphasize her word, Miguelina made the gesture with her index finger for her to come closer.

Slowly, but surely, Sakura moved to the blonde Spanish woman and stopped until she said so, which was very close to her. She smirked. With the speed that Sakura couldn't comprehend, Miguelina had snatched the glasses off of her face and simply broke it in half.

"What did you do?!" Sakura shouted when she realized what she did.

"Now yuu are forced to wear them."

She had no choice but to wear contacts, glasses are expensive and she doesn't have a spare one.

That woman was worse than worst if she went as far as this to make her to wear contacts.

"Go sit there, we start with yuur eyebrows, which I'm sure a ceeveman would be jealous about."

Sakura, offended to the core, sat down in the kind of lay-back chair that felt more than good to her back.

"We are going to change that eyebrows into those of a sex goddess!"

-

-

-

* * *

- **1 hour later - **

**

* * *

  
**

"Those nails, no way…"

-

-

-

* * *

- **Outside Senju Estate, Miami -**

**

* * *

  
**

Ino knocked more than thousand times at her door, and has called her more than million times. She didn't get hold of Sakura.

"Where could she be?"

She was not home, not this morning and she's not home now. Why is her house empty? Where could she in heaven's name be?

This was starting to worry Ino. Her best friend was gone, and she didn't even let her know about it. Maybe something bad happened to her. Oh God. How she hopes not.

Where the hell was her workless poor best friend?

-

-

-

* * *

-** That evening, Senju Estate - **

**

* * *

  
**

"Tomorrow we will continue, Miss. Use your room, please." Tenten leaded her upstairs to a hallway full of closed honey-colored doors.

Her head was hurting from what Miguelina did to her, she was actually glad that they stopped.

"I have a room?" She narrowed her eyes to slits, not seeing as good since she no longer had her glasses.

Tenten smiled slightly at her. "Yes, Miss. I had to tell from Lady Tsunade that this was your new home. That you should consider this villa as your own, because she will no longer accept that you lived… 'in a dump'. Quoting her."

"M-my new home?" She looked around like she was seeing this house for the very first time again.

"Yes, Miss. And this is your room to be exact." The chocolate brown eyed woman opened the first door at her right.

Sakura stepped in with her mouth wide open, not caring if she could catch flies or not.

_This_ was her room? It was larger and much, much more beautiful than the one she had at Sasuke's. While the colors navy blue and white ruled there, here was everything gold, white and honey-colored. It was warm and inviting. Unlike at Sasuke, where all seems military clean and neat.

"Wow…" It came out as a silent breath.

"I could say so myself, Miss." Tenten told her amused from the door.

"A-are you sure that this-"

"It's all yours, Miss." She assured the other female. "If that will be all…?"

"No, no… I still have one request." Sakura delayed Tenten from leaving just yet.

"Anything, Miss."

"Stop calling me 'Miss'. Don't be so formal, instead, just call me plain Sakura. And please, see me as your friend, rather than someone you have to serve. Believe me, I do to you too."

A shocker there, Tenten had never served a woman who wanted to see her as a friend, and quit with the formalities. This woman was really sweeter than anyone else she had ever met in this society.

"Sure thing… Sakura." The professional tone she used a moment ago was completely gone.

"Thanks, Tenten."

"Well, see you tomorrow. Miguelina has much more work for you. Although, I must say there's such a change in you since I've met you this morning. That woman sure is the best of the best."

Sakura blushed at the hidden compliment.

"Um, about Miguelina, where exactly is she from? Cuba?"

"Cuba? What? No, no. Miguelina is originally from Dominican Republic. She moved to New York eight years ago. There's where she began to work at a beauty salon. Miguelina accidentally bumped into Tsunade-sama, that broke one of her nails. Well, that may sound girly and all, but Miguelina insisted of redoing Tsunade's manicure. Turns out that Miguelina was great in more than only doing nails and then Tsunade hired her as her personal stylist."

"Wow. That's quite a story." Sakura shot her a smile.

"Yeah, you can say that right. But tomorrow is busy, busy, busy. We will begin with your lessons and continue with your… make-over." Tenten beamed. "So see you later."

"Heh… sweet dreams, Tenten."

-

-

-

* * *

The door opened without it being knocked and all the three woman in the huge room, Tenten, Miguelina and Sakura, turned their attention to Tsunade.

Her long blond hair fell over her shoulder and she stepped in with a satisfied grin.

"I cannot believe it, I think my eyes are deceiving me." She said calmly. "I can see that my daughter is making progress."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Tenten immediately switched back to her formally self. "You have no idea how fast she picks things up. She practically already knows everything about the industry."

"Why yes, I have seen her school records, the best of all her classes. We have a little genius in our midst." Her grin on her painted lips, grew.

"That explains much." Tenten replied just as happily.

"Si, and yuur daughter is becoming more buutiful over the day, now that she got contactos everything will settle just fine. Because I work on her. Hehe…" Miguelina added proudly while giving her a pedicure.

"Yes, well I was just-"

"About to do more paperwork, Tsunade-sama."

The said blonde cringed slightly when she heard the voice of another woman say.

This woman who recently came into the room with them, was new to Sakura. Straight black hair that reached her shoulders and a face that seemed like she has been stressing out over the years, half-heartedly glared at her mother. "I have been looking everywhere for you," She said. "You can't escape them, Tsunade-sama, it is busy period and you have to read and sign every single one of them."

The Senju sighed. "Sakura, I want you t meet my personal assistant, Shizune."

The black woman looked over Tsunade's shoulder and seemed to finally notice her. "Oh my gosh, Tsunade's long-lost daughter!" She smiled while walking up to the pink haired woman. "Finally I have the pleasure of meeting you. I have been with Tsunade-sama throughout entire America to find you, we were almost going to start searching you over the world. I was so overexcited when I heard that they found you! Finally mother and daughter after twenty-one years united. Do you know how heartbreaking it was to see Tsunade in constant state of sadness? I'm glad you're back home. Oh, and how beautiful you are!"

"Heh, yuu should've seen her yesterday." Miguelina snorted.

Shizune ignored her comment and walked pass the blonde Senju over her daughter. "You're Haruno Sakura, right?"

"Um, Uchiha Sakura, to be exact." She muttered quietly, but shook the hand Shizune offered anyway.

"Uchiha? As in _Uchiha_? Why are you calling yourself that? It's not like you married one of the Uchiha brothers did you?" She chuckled sarcastically, not realizing that everyone went quiet.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…?" Shizune's eyebrows drew together. "Uhm… did I miss something? O-or are you actually married to an Uchiha brother?"

Sakura stayed quiet and you know what that means.

"You are?! To whom?!"

"To Sasuke…"

"Uchiha Sasuke? Currently owner of the Uchiha corporations, heir of one of the best clans in Japan just like Senju, not to forget one of the richest clans… that Uchiha Sasuke you mean?"

"……Yes."

Shizune's jaw dropped to the floor. "I can't believe it. The daughter of Tsunade-sama, heir to the Senju clan, is married to Uchiha Sasuke."

"And is divorcing." Sakura added.

"You are?" Shizune's jaw dropped again, gasping with that, ready to go and wash her ears any moment to check if she heard her correctly.

Sakura nodded.

"H-how did this happen? We couldn't find you anywhere. I think it would've been easy to find you if you were the wife of the owner of the Uchiha corp."

"Well, it kind of happened for some particular reasons." Sakura told Shizune softly.

Seeing that the girl had troubles speaking about this, Tsunade decided to change the subject. "Yes, but that is for another time. Let's go Shizune, there's many paperwork that needs to be done." She turned on her heel, signaling that she was ready to leave.

"Ten minutes ago you were running away from me and the paperwork. They could wait a minute. I still need to inform Sakura-san about something." Shizune said, remembering something.

"What is it?" Both Tsunade and Sakura asked.

"You remember Mitchell and Michael, right? The twin brothers who picked you up."

"Yes, the black haired and that blonde one. They are twins?"

Shizune nodded. "Yup, they were yesterday at your house, just checking up your mail, that we were going to give you later today, when they met a… what did they say? _'A blonde woman with a hot ass….' _something along those lines and she was asking for you."

"A blonde woman with a- Oh! Ino!" Sakura gasped. "Oh God, Ino!" She freaked out a second later. "I totally forgot about Ino! I must call her to tell her I'm ok."

"Isn't that your best friend who was also a maid at Sasuke's house?" Tsunade questioned, arching a brow.

"Yes, she has helped me pay that… dump, as you put it, and was always there for me. I can't believe I forgot about her." The pink haired slapped her forehead, mentally cursing how stupid she is.

"Well, Mitchell and Michael said that you were away for a couple of days and would return soon, if you still want to let her know." Shizune replied, walking back over to Tsunade. "We must be going now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san."

"Just Sakura."

Shizune was slightly taken aback by her request of her calling her at her first name, not even Tsunade, who she knew for years, has asked her to leave the formalities be. But if Sakura insisted, who was she to complain?

"Of course, Sakura."

-

-

-

* * *

_Ring, ring… Ring, ring…_

Ino rushed to her telephone, hoping, praying, that it was her friend.

"Hello, Sakura, is that you?"

"_Yes, it's me. How are you doing, Ino?_"

"Oh thank God. What do you mean 'How are you doing, Ino'?" She did a lousy mimic of Sakura's voice. "How could you be so relaxed, do you know how worried I was. I didn't know where the hell you were, I thought something bad happened to you. I was just about to call the poli-"

"_Geez, Ino. Calm down. I'm not a runaway child. I'm a grown up woman._"

"Yeah, one who knows that a call wouldn't hurt."

"_Listen… something… huge happened. I can't go back to my old home._"

"What do you mean? What happened? You didn't kill somebody, did you?"

"_What?! No! Of course not! It's not something bad or so, just… I need you to keep calm. I know you're worried, and I appreciate that you care so much about me, but there's nothing wrong with me, I'm fine._"

"Then tell me where you are, I need to tell you things about-"

"_Don't! Look, I want you to meet me this following week._"

"This following week? Why not today? If you can't, why not tomorrow?"

Sakura sighed on the line. "_I will explain everything that day, although you would be very, very surprised. So I want to you go to this address…_"

-

-

-

* * *

- **Uchiha Mansion, Miami - **

**

* * *

  
**

Hot water kept running in the shower where nobody was standing below it. In the meantime it was releasing its damp in the bathroom, making the mirror incapable to see anything in except for vague the silhouettes

Half naked he stood, covered by merely a simple white towel, hanging low, very low, around his hips. He was well aware of the fact that he was spilling water but the content in the fine glass in his right hand wasn't empty yet. And somehow he wanted the liquid in it gone before he could relax in his shower.

He wasn't drunk, maybe slightly, very lightly, tipsy. He just wanted to drink a glass or two, which turned five, but what the heck. You live only once.

He didn't know how many minutes has passed while he stood there in his bathroom, the air turning hot, it became foggy of the still running hot water, until he heard his name being yelled.

He turned sideward to the door, feeling his towel slip from his hips. It went instinctively; his right hand that held the glass, loosened and let it fall against the sink making it break to shreds, while he quickly tried to hold the towel on place.

"Damn." He cursed under his breath, hearing that snips of broken glass fall on the floor behind him.

He turned, and heard his name being called once again in his room, he bend down and grabbed a rather big piece of the offending object.

Pain shot through his left arm as he leaned with his right hand on the sink for support.

He cursed once again, and saw a piece of glass in his flesh. Dark thick blood instantly came pouring out of it.

He stared at his hand. His left hand.

A sudden feeling of _déjà vu _peered through him. Didn't this happen before? Didn't he already cut his left hand, in the bathroom by some glass?

"Sasuke?" There is it again, his name being called. A woman's voice. The sounds of her steps came closer to the location he was currently at.

He looked up, expecting another color of hair than the one he's currently seeing. Actually, he expected a lighter shade than the one before him.

"Oh my God! You cut your hand!" Karin yelled out, pointing towards his bleeding wound.

Sasuke said nothing, as it was obvious that he indeed cut his hand, she needn't to yell it out loud.

"Ugh, blood. I can't stand the sight of it. It repulse me." She said in disgust. "I'm going now, don't forget to clean all the glass of the floor. I don't want to hurt my pretty little feet when I'm going to take a shower. I was just here to tell you that I'm borrowing your Ferrari again. Me and the girls loved it last time. See you later baby."

Karin simply waved with a swing of her fingers, and left off.

For some reason, Sasuke frowned. The last time he cut his hand, someone was treating it. Now he was just standing there, staring.

He turned, opened the tap, and blinked.

Emerald.

He narrowed his eyes. What the hell?

He held his palm below the water, following how the dirty water went through the drain.

A vague red color, and he blinked.

Pink.

He pulled his hand away from the sink like it was hot like fire, which it was not, but something freaked him out. He couldn't stand seeing that weird color of blood mixed with the water. So deciding that his wound could stay that way, he closed the tap, easily closed the tap of the shower -which was still running the entire time- and turned out of the bathroom.

For some reason, he couldn't stay in that closed space anymore. And even if his hand was hurting like a bitch, he refused to go back in there and bandage his hand.

He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling a bit worn out by Karin and…

Emerald.

His eyes shot open. He shook his head, as if to throw away any thoughts that hunted his mind, and walked over to his walk-in closet to put some clothes on his ass. He was still naked for except the towel.

For some reason, he was afraid to blink, afraid to stare at his hands. Because if he did, then weird ass colors he had let go a long time ago returns to him. Which he didn't want.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

Sakura was gone. She left, he chose Karin.

_Karin!_

He still wanted to be with Karin. Even if…

Even if she didn't do the same action like Sakura did when he cut his hand. Even if the look of worry didn't fill her eyes, like Sakura had. Even if Karin left him there to go shopping with the girls while Sakura wouldn't have left until he was properly cleaned up and bandaged.

Even if. It was Karin. Always was and always will be.

'_Sasuke…_'

-

-

-

* * *

- **One Week Later. Senju Estate - **

**

* * *

  
**

"What the…" Ino gaped like an idiot when she arrived in front of the golden fence. She knew she was not lost, this was the exact address Sakura had given her last week. But… was she sure she didn't say a letter wrong. Or a number, or something?

Because this… this was a freaking huge, gigantic, amazing, beautiful villa. What does Sakura has in here?

She was ready to turn away, back to her home because she was sure this was the wrong address until the golden gate suddenly opened. Ino turned back around with the speed of lightning, wondering if it was meant to do that or this house was haunted.

But she doubted it.

This was the address Sakura told her clearly. Twice even, to let her know that she needs to come here. But… at a villa? Shrugging, she walked onto the grounds. She would ask politely to whoever opens the door if she could use their phone and then she would be back on her way.

It took at least a good 15 minutes for her to reach the double-doors, from the gates to the house. Before she could even knock, the door was opened.

A man with short, snow white hair and grey smiling little eyes welcomed her.

"I'm Jeeves." The man said. "The butler."

Ino nodded shortly, knowing that he must be a servant because she knew very well that the actual owner of this grand house would never open the door himself.

"I'm Yamanaka Ino, I was wondering if-"

"Ah, Miss Yamanaka. Yes, you're being expected, follow me, please." Jeeves said casually, turning and moved away.

The blonde crooked an eyebrow, but ok, she's being expected. That means that she was at the right address.

What the hell is Sakura even doing at a place like this?

They walked over through a huge room and stopped at some other grand hall, that had a long brown stairs coming from the right side of the wall.

Reaching there, she saw four woman standing at the end of the stairs, talking to each other. Two were blonde. One you easily spot that it was dyed, the other one was a strong, fierce looking woman who was naturally blond. Then there's the one with the short black hair and the other one with the coffee brown hair tied into two big buns on her head.

All four of them turned clock ways to her. A silence fell between them.

The natural blonde was the first one who took a step forward. "Thank you, Jeeves. You are dismissed."

The butler, Jeeves, smiled widely and bowed, leaving Ino with them.

"You must be Yamanaka Ino." The woman said to her seriously.

But the platinum blonde was not affected by the tone of her voice. "Yes, I am. Who are you and where is Sakura?" She glared. She couldn't give a shit of who this woman was, all she wanted to know is where her friend was.

A smirk easily reached her lips. Tsunade liked this girl, she was feisty and had spunk. She likes strong women, that's how each are supposed to be.

"Sakura is perfectly fine, she called you without any troubles, didn't she?"

Ino didn't reply, but it wouldn't take the glare off of her face.

"I'm Tsunade, and that there is Miguelina, Shizune and Tenten."

"I don't care who they are, I want to know where my friend is."

"You should not worry." Tsunade looked up to the stairs. "She will be coming any moment now."

"What are you-" Ino was abruptly stopped with talking when a light crack of the stairs caught all their attention.

And if Ino wasn't completely stunned at the sight, she would've fainted. "S-S-Sa… kura?" The baby blue eyes widen impossibly big as she whispered her name without any breath left in her system.

With small steps the mentioned lady walked off the stairs, coming lower to them with every passed second. Once below she stood in the middle of all the other women, being gazed and gaped at.

A silence.

Then...

"I… I cannot be-believe that that's… Sakura…" While the other four women were done with gaping at her like they've seen a ghost, Ino in the other hand was still in the jaw-dropping state.

Tsunade beside her chuckled. "Miguelina sure is the best."

Sakura blushed lightly, complimenting her skin and hair and smiled at them. "I couldn't believe so myself, when I looked in the mirror."

To Ino beliefs, even Sakura's voice changed. It was small and light, and held confident she never heard before. "Sakura…" Ino gawked. "You… you are beautiful. Oh my… so beautiful!"

"That is so." Tenten agreed, winking at the pink haired.

"Si, when yuu came here, yuu looked like a caterpillar, and now, thanks to I, yuu have become a buutiful butterfly."

The blush deepened on the fresh looking woman from all the compliments sent her way. "Stop, you guys. Really, thank you but it's enough." She said shyly.

"Go wash your mouth. You look more than gorgeous. Of course because you're my daughter and you fell in the hands of our little dominicana here." Tsunade sounded proud.

"Wait, what?" All the heads snapped to Ino. "You're her daughter?"

Sakura blinked. "Ino, this was something I found out last week. But yes, this is Senju Tsunade, my mother."

...

_"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"_ Ino screamed, skimping away from all the other females. "What? You're Senju Tsunade? _Senju Tsunade_? And you," She pointed back to Sakura. "Are her daughter?! Her _daughter_?!"

"Ino, listen to me, I-"

"You! You were playing to be poor for all these years! I bet just so you can marry Uchiha Sasuke and then you turn out to be ultra-rich, isn't it? And I believed it, that you were poor and ugly and-"

"INO!" Sakura grabbed the blonde at her shoulders, shaking her. "What you saw of me all those years were true. Only there's more to it. Please, calm down and let me and my mother explain."

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"T-this is not real…" Ino breathed, shocked. "People trying to kill you? You being the heir of the powerful Senju clan? Sakura, is this all-"

"Yes," The pink haired nodded in confirmation. "It is true. All of it."

Suddenly a smile crept to the blonde's face. "So you're rich? You're rich? A heir to the _Senju_ clan. Nobody would believe me if I told them."

"No!" Sakura interrupted her harshly. "Do not tell anyone about this. Nobody, not one living soul. None of you," She turned to Tenten and Miguelina. "All will reveal in time. What went down here stays between these walls."

"Huh, why?" Tsunade questioned, finding Sakura's request of keeping quiet very strange.

Sakura glanced sideways before replying. "I have my reasons, but please, stay silent for the time being."

The other five females switched looks for a moment but agreed nonetheless. They asked themselves, why Sakura wouldn't 'come out' now that she'd changed.

"Instead," Sakura proceeded. "I want to go to my birthplace, and to Switzerland, taking the money that my great-grandfather left me, and return it back into the Senju family."

"What?" Ino was surprised though, she thought now that she has had the complete transformation she would pay Sasuke a visit and give him a piece of her mind. At least that what she would've done. "What about-?"

"Ino," The rosette interjected stern, shocking the platinum blonde to the core. Since when does Sakura sound stern?

"_He_ is irrelevant right now. I want to go back to my family who I've never seen in my life, or even knew of their existence. I want to bring back that money, where it belongs and with that learn more of the industry we own. I don't know how long I would be staying there, could be years, but I will learn everything."

Ino's eyelids closed, upon realizing that Sakura is right. Sasuke is someone of her previous life, of her past. He doesn't belong, nor deserved, to be in her new one.

"So…" Ino answered quietly. "You're leaving Miami? Leaving me?"

Sakura's gaze soften at her best friend's tone, but replied firmly without hesitation or second thoughts. "Yes."

"Oh… I guess I should-"

"But," Sakura interrupted once again, grinning now. "I do have a task for you."

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- **2 weeks later - **

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"Bye Miami, bye America." Sakura mentally waved out of the airplane window, while they were taking off. The high buildings and cars becoming smaller and smaller like toys.

Irony wouldn't leave her be, when unfortunately enough, her eyes noticed the very tall head building of his company.

The red and white paper fan, which was all too familiar, was glued on her retinas as the plane went higher into the sky.

And that building was also the last clear thing she saw of Miami.

'_Goodbye… Sasuke.'_

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**A/N: Shortest and most boring chapter EVUR! Can you believe this, I, the author, almost fell asleep typing this. But be glad, after this chapter, there will be revenge playing and balls rolling. **

**Hehe… I know, a little late with the update, but give me a break. This whole week was so hectic on school, I'm glad it's all over. And I'm still tired of it. So… **

**You've met a new lady… Miguelina. What kind of story would it be if they live in Miami… but there's no Spanish people? Well, say hello to Miguelina.**

**Sakura has changed! Yes, she has, and Sasuke… tsk, tsk, tsk, somebody's thinking of someone they should not be thinking about. **

**But isn't fun for us? [insert big grin here]**

**I would like to thank all of you for reviewing the last time. Please, for as boring as this was, review again, tell me what ya thought!**

**I wish I could send candy, candy, and uuhm… candy to y'all!**

**Thnk u. **

**R&R **

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'_Think about it every second, I love the way you feel. I'm kind of stuck between my fantasy and what is real.' _**- Ne-Yo - 'Because of You'**

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_To Be Continued_

_Stay tuned for next time, Same Site, Same Story_


	9. An Escort

**A/N: Ai, and now we're here, at the so called chapter everybody's waiting for. Really, I don't see why you guys are so anxious about this chapter, but whatever, I guess majority rules… **

**And you guys say that you love to see this all going down. I can't say anything, since I don't want to ruin it for ya, but yes, there is a time skip in here. Not a long one, but one nonetheless. **

**And just in between, did you read lastest chapter of Naruto? Kakashi…? Is **_**not**_** going to die, I tell you. And even if there was no manga this week, (damn Kishimoto you!) it ended unfair and cruel. Kakashi cannot die, he will not. And if he does, then I will be more than devastated. I will cry, literally, just like I cried when Jiraiya died. And when he died, it wasn't that sweet one-tear-rolls-down-my-cheek thing; no this was weep until I only saw blurry and became red as a tomato. It was so sad. I didn't want him to die, if Kushina isn't alive, then Jiraiya was probably Naruto's only family left (that we know of). Well, **_**used**_** to be the only family Naruto knew…**

**Ah… Just have to see next week (please, let it be next week).**

**Disclaimer;**** What you see, is what you get, stop complaining, you should not forget, that what you read, thus what I have ever shown, you must know, that; **_**Naruto**_**… I do not own!**

**(Hehe… made that up myself…lol… how lame… ¬_¬)**

**Re-check!**

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'_Roses are red, Violins are blue, God made me sexy… What the fuck happened to you?' - _**Hehe… a friend!**

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands _

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_It seems like an eternity… _

_And Miami held everything that created me. I've been raised there, found my best friend there, my first job there, found my mother there, fell in love there…_

_Got my heart broken there…_

_A year. I have left America for a year. In which time I have learned Japanese, -and that was very poorly in the beginning- German, a bit French and a lot of Spanish. Very much thanks to Miguelina. _

_I grew up, knowing my entire clan and they were very nice people. I saw the family of my father, and my mother was right, my aunt, so my father's sister, does have pink hair. And my grandmother, and apparently also my great-grandmother. _

_Although, that information is irrelevant for you guys, I'm sure. You are wondered what happened to you-know-who. Well, to be frank, I hadn't thought much about him. Too busy with running, like, a real life. _

_But, he-who-shall-not-be-named, is happy where he is and who he is with. Our ways separated, our lives continued, we all moved on. I haven't heard from him since the day I flew out of Miami. Nothing of us connected anymore, and neither of us expected -or wanted- to see each other again. _

_Or so we thought. _

_But as always, destiny, faith, karma, universe, you name it, wanted it otherwise. _

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**- One year later - **

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The sun pierced her pale skin, she forgot how it could burn up here. Sure, the sun in Switzerland and Italy wasn't making a joke, but this one, the old one where she grew up in, cooked her alive.

Growing disaccustomed because of her staying too long at her place down below where that burning rock in the universe didn't made her feel like baking eggs on a hot plate, she narrowed her eyes. Even if they were way hidden behind black Armani glasses, and her hair hidden in a very chic hood. Her little button nose crunched, at disgust of feeling already starting to perspire in this stifling closed place.

She hoisted the small Louis Vuitton bag back around her right shoulder. She blamed the weather for letting it slip from her skin.

"Damn, I forgot how hot that sun can make this place be." She scoffed, her glossed lips already going down into a scowl.

"Ah, don't you overreact, Sakura." Tenten replied with a small smile. The same kind of glasses on her nose. "You barely got out of your jet and you're already standing in an air-conditioned building. And about to enter an already cooled limo."

"That doesn't mean I can feel the damp of this city, and it's anno-"

"Ai, niña, stop being such a spoiled bret. Yuu've been living here yuur whole life, and up until last year, you had no complains about it." Miguelina stated, smiling all the while, but with a slightly serious tone.

Sakura shifted her gaze to the two women, but none of them could see in each others' eyes as they all were wearing sunglasses.

Although, by the look of Sakura's downward turn of lips, they kind of knew that she was glaring.

"Why do you two always go against me?" She asked, used to it, for she is living with them for a year, but still not liking that fact.

"Um… that's in my nature." Miguelina flipped her hair, which she dyed back into black and created a grin.

Sakura wasn't surprised there.

"I'm your friend and your personal assistant. As friend I need to be honest with you. As P.A I need to be honest too, only for that particular job I will get paid for it." Tenten answered, sharing a toothily smile like Miguelina's.

"So in actuality, I'm paying you to offend me?" Sakura arched a brow.

"No, I'm not offending you. I am correcting you, slash, telling you my opinion. There's a big difference." The coffee-brown haired woman said matter-of-factly.

"Psh, let's just get to my mother already, I hate this place."

"Why? It's just the airport." Miguelina asked, curious as to why exactly she despise it.

She hated this place because…

…Because this was the start was of the biggest mistake of her life.

Their little elopement to Las Vegas to get married.

Truth was, Sakura was still an Uchiha. Because she kept it secret that she was even related to _a_ family, much less reveal that she was the heir of the Senju clan, the divorce papers never reached her.

For everybody she left in Miami, she, Uchiha -formally known as Haruno- Sakura just disappeared.

Not that _he_ would ever care.

On the contrary, he's probably rejoicing.

_Good riddance,_ he must've thought.

Sakura's mood switched easy from irritated to bloody pissed in two seconds flat. The thought of _him_ alone was enough to make her blood boil.

"Hey, Sakura!" Tenten called the rosette woman. "Our limousines are here."

If Sakura thought that inside of the airport was hot then she wished that she can go back and swallow her words, because once outside; it felt like a living hell!

Around their ride stood two or three paparazzi, expecting it to be the limo of some famous artist. She mentally chuckled as she remembered the first time she set foot in Japan.

Good Lord, there were flashing cameras everywhere, people asking her random questions which she couldn't hear any of them because they were shooting them to her so fast, her hearing abilities could not catch any of it, and some of them were in Japanese, in that time she still didn't understand a word of it.

Her name as the heir of the Senju clan wasn't as valuable up here as it was down there. But a name it was anyway.

Miguelina was the last one who sat in, and effectively closed the door of the stretched car.

Sakura felt relief when she felt the chilly air in the limo.

"Back to the villa?" A young man behind the wheel said. A voice somehow familiar to the emerald eyed woman.

"Michael?" She saw the black haired male, who was looking over his shoulder to them. His hair wasn't as short as it was the last time they saw him, it was quite a few inches longer.

He ran a hand trough said hair, straighten it back from his face.

"Madam," He smiled, an enchanting smile really. "Such a pleasure to see you again. And what a coincidence, once again I'm driving you to the 'important person'."

Sakura shot him a smile in return, feeling more upbeat by Michael's appearance. "Where's Mitchell?"

"Sleeping."

"In the middle of the day?"

He nodded and just nudged his elbow into the direction of the passenger seat beside him that she thought was empty.

"Uh.. Wha…?" Someone groaned.

"Wake up, Sleeping Ugly, rise and shine! The princess is here." Michael poked his brother's head.

"Huh? Wha-?" Mitchell shot up in his seat, the back of his head now visible to them behind.

Michael nodded over his shoulder.

Mitchell's sleepy grey eyes flicked over his own shoulder to meet three curious ones. His blond hair, grown longer just as his brother, and was a tad wilder, flying all sorts of directions.

Those very same twinkle grey, but still sleepy, eyes widen when realization hit him and he included that these were the women they were sent to pick up.

"Hey asshole, you could've wake me up!" He immediately growled to his black-haired brother.

"I did, you moron! But you can sleep through anything, even if Third World war would break out right here, right now!" Michael retorted to the blonde male.

"I do not!" A glare. "You better start this freaking car and bring them to the house already!"

Mitchell turned again to the three females. "Excuse me ladies," His tone calmer and charming. "For my use of language, we will take you to Tsunade-sama now."

The limo started and began to drive away to their destination. City streets touched her memories as she looked at them with unsettling feeling.

Both Tenten and Miguelina switched glances, as they thought that the limo was going to turn into the street where… _his_ building stood. Instead, it didn't, -thank God- because they know that one certain pink-haired companion in here will feel very… er… displeased about it. They mentally sighed in relief and continue to look outside, seeing how some people would stop and stare, questioning if there was a celebrity in here.

Soon a very familiar golden fence came into the view, with that the huge orange/yellow villa behind it. Only it was slightly different.

Red roses fancied the front garden, making it much more attractive for the eye to see than how it was a year ago. Even with or without the new set of change, the villa was always a picture to be loved.

Michael opened the door for Sakura, his black hair gently swaying with the light breeze that followed. They were closer to water now, the stifling air was broken once in a while by the wind that flows by.

He winked, and she returned the favor by smiling at him, saying a 'Thank you' just above a whisper.

The double honey-colored doors both opened before they even could reach it, revealing a smirking Jeeves.

"Miss Senju?" He bowed.

Sakura laughed, a true laugh since she arrived here. "It's still Uchiha, regrettably."

"As you say, Miss. And I bid a good day to you too, Miss Rodriguez and Miss Hinosyuri." He kept his friendly smirk and sent it to Miguelina and Tenten.

They greeted him back with a mirror expression of himself. The butler, with short white hair and grey little eyes, brought them to a lever higher of the villa.

He knocked shortly, and unlike the very first time that Sakura came here, this time there came a reply to his knock. A very hard, stern, irritated woman's voice. The corner of Sakura's lip turned upwards, she knew that voice all too well and the tone that came with it.

Jeeves sweat dropped. "Eh, it has been pretty hectic since she arrived here last month, I assume she's very-"

"Yes, I know, Jeeves." Sakura broke softly through his words with a smile. "I'm already accustomed to Tsunade's ways."

"Of course, Miss." He bowed. "I shall take my leave now. Good day to you all." With a simple glance of polite joy, he walked away.

Sakura moved into the room, that wasn't a bedroom like all the other rooms on this floor, but rather a small library and office in one.

Tsunade didn't even bother to look up from the work of papers below her nose.

"I am really busy now, so if you please wait here for my assistant, then she will help you with whatever your business got you here. And while waiting, please stay silent, as I already stated that I'm very busy and need my concentration."

Sakura kept smirking, Tsunade looked worn out. This was definitely not the time to screw with her if you love your life as it is.

"Even too busy to see your beloved daughter?"

Amber, -slightly overtired- eyes shot up. "Sakura?" She questioned in wonder and curiosity. "What are you doing here?"

"Forgot that we were arriving today?"

Tsunade crooked a perfectly good shaped eyebrow, while rising to her feet, forgetting all the important papers on her desk.

"Why yes, I did. And look at you," She grinned. "Becoming even more finer over the night. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

Sakura smiled, she already passed the stage of blushing a long time ago. Used to them, she was now.

"And Tenten and Miguelina, how are you doing?" The blonde woman requested.

"I am perfectly fine," Miguelina answered with her Spanish accent. "Me and Teenteen always staid at niña's side. It was fun in Japan, as always. How are you, Señora Senju?"

"Fine, except for all those damned paperwork." Tsunade gazed then at Tenten.

"I'm great," She automatically replied. "Although Jetlag is killing me now but I'm ok."

"That's good to hear. So Sakura, tell me-"

Tsunade was cut off when the door of the room opened.

"Tsunade-sama, I hope you have filed all the work of Mr. Cockatoo," She said while reading some paper in her hand. "And have signed it. He faxed that he needs them tomorrow morning." Shizune looked up when silence reached her instead of an answer.

"Oh my!" It didn't took more than a second for her to have a huge grin on her face. Showing a fine set of white teeth. "Sakura, you're here!"

Suddenly, the black haired female went grim. "You're here, in Miami? I thought you said you're not going to set foot in Miami for the next ten years."

Sakura rolled her emerald eyes behind the black sunglasses, -which she still didn't take off- "Ah, stop being such a drama queen. I said that when I was angry at… _him_. Just because he lives here doesn't mean I should forbid myself to ever come here. So what he's lives here too? He doesn't have influence in any matter on me anymore."

"Ok… so why _are_ you here?"

That was a question that nobody, -not even Miguelina and Tenten- knew, all for except Sakura herself.

Sakura looked at them with a hint of mischievousness, staying silent for a moment, letting the tension rise.

"I'll tell you that, but I still need to see somebody."

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- **A couple of hours later - **

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_Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock…_

A persistent overeager knock came from the front door.

The butler opened.

"Where is she?"

He brought her to the one she asked -demanded- for.

Sakura and the other females sat in the dining room waiting for dinner to be served, until;

"_SAKURAAAAAA_!" A yell very akin to a banshee came.

Said woman cringed at the screeching sound, but it didn't stop from letting her lips stretch into a wide grin. "Ino."

The platinum blonde looked like a child in a candy shop. Teeth shining in an overjoyed smile and the one visible baby blue eye wide of excitement. The other eye of her was hidden below a sideway bang, that wasn't there the last time Sakura saw her.

The blonde's smile grew impossibly bigger, commanding her feet to run over to Sakura. The emerald eyed was almost knocked off her chair as Ino practically jumped on her.

"Sakura! Oh, Sakura!" A tear glistened her blue orbs as he finally backed away from her huge bear hug.

"I couldn't keep my screams in when your butler called me and said that someone requested my presence here. I immediately recognized the address and didn't wait another heartbeat to leave. And look. At. You. Absolutely gorgeous! If I said that you were beautiful last year then I take my words back, because compared to now back then you were plainly pretty. But now! Wow! Stunning really, you blossomed so much, unbelievable, and oh my god! How did you get your-"

"Does she even swallow?" Shizune whispered in the background, barely moving her lips, seeming like she didn't talk at all.

"Apparently not." Tsunade spoke the same way.

"-Nails that way? There's no salon in my neighborhood who can do this as perfectly as yours are. And your hair, I think it's a shade lighter than how it was last year. Back then it was more like blush-pink and now it looks more virgin-pink and-"

"Ok, Ino!" Sakura finally stopped her, sweat dropping. "Please, calm down. Sit," She pointed to an empty seat beside herself. "And join us for dinner."

"Wow, Sakura. I think that even your voice changed. It's so grown up now. And you're not stuttering anymore, or talking in the audible level of a mouse. And is it just me or does your eyes seem a bit darker green?" She kept shooting the questions while she sat down.

"I had my eyes 'lasered' last April. No need to put contacts in every day." Sakura answered shortly.

Three butlers came in silently into the dining room, setting plates full of food down on the table. There were all kinds of salads, white rice, sauces, baked chicken, grilled pork, Russian caviar but also red and white wine, water and strangely enough a bottle of Coca Cola.

Sakura and Tenten were the first ones who reached for the Coke, they liked to drink that much more at dinner than wine or water.

"Oh, of course." Ino slapped her forehead, as in just remembering something. "I must come off so rude, but understand my excitement and my obnoxiousness of me, that Sakura is finally back. So, how are you, Lady Tsunade and Lady Shizune?"

The two females nodded and replied that they were doing great.

Ino beamed. "And you, Tenten and Miguelina?"

"I'm fine, as long as Sakura over there is doing good, then me too." Tenten replied.

"Si, yo tambien. I am perfectly fine. Although I am wondeering if I should dye my hair rojo this time." Miguelina wondered, grabbing a long lock and stared at it.

"You're going to change your hair color again? Red, this time? Why?" Sakura crooked an eyebrow.

"Si, por que no?"

"Because it's annoying." Tenten said before Sakura could answer and the three laughed shortly.

"Wow… Sakura, you can Spanish now too?" Ino turned to her.

"Yeah, and Japanese, German, France and just a tad Italian. I don't want to brag but-"

"No, no, that's great! It's just… you changed all for the best. You leaving Miami was the best thing that you ever did." She spoke happily. "I am so glad that you actually went. Or else you still would've been that little Sakura hidden in her dark, safe shell without ever intending of coming out."

"You mean a very ugly, naïve, little Sakura." The pink haired corrected her best friend.

"No, you were never ugly…"

All the women in the dining room stopped with eating and faced Ino with an 'are-you-serious?' look.

"Uuh… I said that you were beautiful in your own way, and I meant it. You were just… a little uneasy on the eyes…?" The baby blue eyed looked unsure around, searching for the right words.

"Uhu, uneasy you say." Sakura agreed.

Tsunade found that it was time for a change of course in the conversation, so she faked a cough. "Ahem, so I couldn't help but notice that you have failed of answering my question earlier today, Sakura. Why are you back in Miami?"

A silence fell upon the dining room, all eyes set on one young lady. Said lady was finding her plate suddenly very interesting, and preferred to look down at it.

"Ino…?" She quietly broke the silence.

The Yamanaka blinked. "Yes?"

"You remember the request of task I gave you one year ago, before I left?"

"Of course, I've been doing it till even today. Should I tell you all of it?"

"What? What are you talking about? What request and what is there to tell about?" Tsunade asked out loud for also the three other women who were wondering just as so.

Sakura glanced to the four of them, but said nothing. Mentally smirking.

Ino, in the other hand, confessed.

"You guys don't remember? You were there when she asked me to do it."

The four of them raised their shoulders unknowingly.

"She asked me to keep a weather eye on Uchiha Sasuke."

"A weather eye?" All the women echoed.

"On Uchiha Sasuke?" Tenten continued. "I thought you hated him and never wanted to hear his name again?!"

"Si, if yuu hate him, why do yuu order this señorita to look for him?" Miguelina added.

Sakura's eyes shifted to her friend besides her and actually ignored the interrogating questions.

"Ino, please tell."

The blonde gazed at the other females, then back to Sakura and began.

"Well… where should I begin? Hehe… many things has happened within a year, you must know. Unbelievable actually." She laughed nervously until she saw the look that Sakura was sending her way that was saying that she should get to the point.

"Ok, so I'm not a maid of Uchiha's household anymore."

"You're not?" Sakura gasped. "Then how did you-?"

"Um, you do remember all of Sasuke's friends, right?" Ino interrupted her.

Sakura nodded, who can ever forget them?

"Well, I'm dating Nara Shikamaru…"

"You are what?" Sakura almost choked on her coke there.

"Hehe, as I said, many things happened in a year. So yes, I started dating that lazy bum five months ago. And really, he didn't want a maid as girlfriend and Sasuke didn't want one of his friends smudging with one of his servants either. So he released me, and I've been under Shikamaru's wing ever since."

"Wow…" Sakura breathed. Astonished for the first time since Ino came here. "Who would've thought that you would end up dating someone of his social circles?"

Sakura didn't drop his name, she didn't want to. She called him, 'him' in order not to say his name.

"Heh, who would've thought that Sasuke would marry you either?" Ino shot back with a teasing smile.

Sakura did not like that, so her eyebrows drew together. "That was for different reasons than yours, Ino."

"But he chose you nonetheless. Of all the women out there he could've picked, why is that do you think?"

Sakura heaved her shoulders once, she had no clue. "Because I was the first naïve idiot who fell for his slick words?"

"No," Ino stated serious. "It was because you had real feelings for him, unlike all the other women who only wanted him for his looks and money."

"Heh," Sakura snorted. "Yeah right, like I would believe that. And by the way, how do you know that?"

"Naruto had a hunch. It wasn't like Sasuke told any of us why he precisely married you, not that he ever wanted to bring you up or talk about you, but still the suspicion stayed."

Sakura swallowed hard upon hearing her words, looking back down.

Why did a… feeling go through her? It was not like she didn't expect it, because she knew, she _so_ knew, that he would never even think about her, much less talk about her after she left the Uchiha grounds. And face it, he wasn't really a talkative-and-show-my-emotions-for-free kind of guy.

She knew that he would never, ever, tell why he chose her of all the females. And she knew that he would never comply himself for another needless thought about her.

Then why, oh why did it make her feel this way, even if she got stronger over the year, grew over him over the year and forget him over the year?

Why? Why did she feel-

"In the meanwhile everything is going good at their house. Itachi is doing great and is working hard for his company, Mikoto is organizing a party for her birthday and Sasuke and Karin… they're pretty much fine because Karin stopped whining for Sasuke to seek and divorce you."

Sakura still didn't look up from her plate.

Tsunade, Shizune, Tenten and Miguelina listened quietly to Ino's story.

"You know, you suddenly disappearing made everybody wonder. Sasuke even came to me personally one month after you left and asked me if I knew where you were. Of course, me keeping to my word of silence, said that my connection with you also broke the day you left the mansion. Strange what I found was, that even if Karin was pushing his ass to divorce you, he didn't use his great connections of being a great businessman into measures to find you. And that also made us question why he didn't do exactly that. He could've easily found you and divorce you on the spot. Yet…"

"He didn't." Sakura finished for her, murmuring.

"Exactly." Ino stated. "Karin being dumber than a circus monkey-freak didn't notice. If she used her empty head more than for only shopping and sex and more shopping, then she could've confront Sasuke of it a long time ago. But no, time has passed, nobody knew where you were, so she forgot about it over the months. They are still together. I don't see Sasuke even spare other women even a glance. He's stuck to her like an annoying gum below your shoes."

It was quiet when Ino stopped. There was no chewing jaws, no throats swallowing liquids or grabbing food from plates.

Minutes passed slowly, the tension was heavy and the anticipation for someone to speak could be cut by one of their manicured fingernails.

Tenten moved her mocha brown eyes to their corners, eyeing the other three companions who stared wide-eyed, and here's where Tenten thanked a god up there that no food lay in any of the women's mouths, because they were all slightly open, staring at the heir of the Senju.

As Tenten was the first one who blinked, she was also the same person who broke the tense air.

"So…" She inhaled, earning some of their attentions, except for Sakura's; her head was still bend and away from their view. "I, um, guess that you will never let him hear anything from you."

Her statement was meant to somehow comfort Sakura, to comfort them all. But that was not the case as the reply -the look alone- she got from the pink haired. She had shot her head up faster than sound itself, and they were surprised, -startled- and stunned at the sudden determination that held her gaze.

Her expression was dead serious, teeth clenched and squared shoulders.

Ino, who was beside her, was just as taken aback like the others, and unconsciously backed a bit away from her. This was a new look on her, one that Ino had never seen on her or ever thought that she was capable of creating.

"What are you talking about?" Sakura's voice was menacing low, eyes slightly narrowed and talked in a slow pace.

It very much sounded like she was hissing.

"Sasuke is _far_ from rid of me." She didn't change her threaten tone, nor raised her voice, as this was the first time that she said his name. She kept eye contact with Tenten at all times whereas she felt actually a bit… intimidated.

"I want Sasuke to feel what I had felt. I want Sasuke to _suffer_ what I have suffered. I want him to endure the pain I had endured. I want him to know how it feels like to get your heart played at by someone's whims." She sneered, still slow and full of suppressed anger. "I want Sasuke to _fall_ on his knees and _beg_ for my forgiveness."

The words that her lips spilled shocked the room.

"He had broken me," Just so, her voice momentarily broke, but the determent snarl stayed. "Used me, the way no human should ever be used." Pain was showed in the way of her talking. "And I want to get back at him. There were more reasons for me when I went to Japan and Europe. Because I was planning to take away that what means everything to the Uchihas."

Ino, Miguelina, Tenten, Shizune and Tsunade actually held their breaths. They stared at Sakura while sitting on the edge of their seats, as if this was the closing of a good movie.

"I want to take the company from them."

All the five ladies gasped.

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Life was doing well for him. His parents couldn't be prouder of him, as well as his brother. The company was going better than ever. His best friend was working hard with him, -although the occasionally punches and insults they shared couldn't go amiss- their progress were paid off with very good results.

In between it all, they hit parties time to time. Partying like he used to, with all of his friends, and of course, -who cannot forget- with Karin.

Sarina Karin.

The woman who once ran away with another man, who he loves, and frankly, still doesn't entirely trust her to ask her to marry him once again.

Definitely not after he himself was married to… _another woman_.

After he self-declared that she was on prohibition for the time being, he kept an eye on Karin. Because cheating on the 'Great Uchiha' twice is beyond embarrassment. He had set one of his employers, -one of the many he had- to follow Karin. Checking if she really was going 'shopping' or to the 'spa' or to the 'hairdresser' as she claimed.

Six months had past and neither the spying employer nor his friends ever saw her going somewhere suspicious.

He started to trust her again, his heart, which he thought that would never love any other woman out there except his mother, started to beat for her.

Again.

She loved him, he knew, or else she never would've removed the baby that was of another man and then she never would've returned to him.

Neji suspected her to be a gold digger, but Sasuke beg to differ. How could she be one, if she was a millionaire herself? Her father is the owner of Uchiha's only rival. Naruto added once that she would only stay if he kept showering her with presents. But that drastically changed since she came back.

Maybe not drastically because she's still greedy in 'borrowing' his stuff and pleading for his attention. And he gave her his attention when the time was convenient for him. He tried his best. The last thing he wanted was her going to seek attention to other men.

Again.

So his life was good, better than he could ever dream of. He was the best in being a businessman, his parents -especially his father- had nothing to complain about, thus was content. His brother supported him time to time, if he wasn't busy with his own company. He had great friends, sometimes annoying and, like Shikamaru would put it, troublesome, -amongst other people like; Uzumaki Naruto- but awesome in the end. And not to forget a sexy, horny, loving lady at home.

Nothing could intervene in his perfect life.

Nothing and nobody at all.

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"Um… Sakura…?" Ino began, breaking the ice. "Don't you find that a little cruel, even for yourself?"

Sakura blinked after long while, sighing. "Yes." She admitted. "You're right. I can't possibly do that." You must believe her, it was merely her fury talking, that wasn't the actual Sakura. Sure, she had toughed up like she promised Ino quietly a long time ago, but she didn't change into a cruel miserable woman.

Her beliefs of that time were still the same.

She cursed now more, which she didn't even do or dare to do a year ago, -that's what happens if you hang around Tsunade and Tenten too much- she got spirit of fire now, no longer the shy, quiet, stammering Sakura, -that's what also happens if you stay around Tsunade and Tenten too long- and defends herself for every aspects she doesn't like, what she didn't do last year. Fault of Tsunade and Tenten. They have changed her, in more than one way, and that was exactly what she wanted.

Even so, she was still the sweet, caring, and love to help people, Sakura. Only… with spunk.

"But you can't ignore the fact that you _should_ get back at Sasuke." Tenten told her, she thought that Sakura was partly right. He couldn't go away with it.

"Uhu." Ino nodded.

"Yes." Both Shizune and Tsunade said together.

"Si!" Miguelina added.

Emerald colored eyes looked up to the women she held dearest. "You remember last year, before we went away, I asked you all to keep silenct, right?"

"Yes." They all replied. "What about it?" Tsunade inquired.

"Ai! Yuu want us to spread around that yuu are alive and well. So that bastardo knows yuu are-"

"No." Sakura said short.

Miguelina stopped and they all looked at the rosette haired female.

"I do not want you to go and yell about that I'm back in Miami. No, instead…" A devious smirk graced her features, her eyes shifting. "I want my mother to do the talking."

Tsunade frowned in confusion.

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"Hello?"

Silence.

"Oh my god! Such a long time that I have spoken to you! How are you doing? Oh gosh, how long has it been, twenty, twenty-five years ago?" Mikoto grinned while she talked through the telephone.

Fugaku raised an eyebrow when he heard the joyful tone of his wife and the strange words that past her lips.

"Twenty-three years? Wow, you remember well!" She laughed now.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." A delay. "Ahu, yes, I'm still married to Uchiha Fugaku." She stayed quiet for a moment. "Oh my." Her voice was sad now. "I'm so sorry."

Sasuke who wasn't at work for the day, because it was the weekend and Karin pleaded for him to stay at home, happened to walk into the living area where his parents were currently at. A bored look on his face when suddenly he heard his mother talk on the phone.

"Oh, so you're in Miami?" A brief pause. "What? That long? How is it that I hear from you just only now?"

Even if it didn't show on Sasuke façade, he was curious to know to whom his mother was talking to. He and Fugaku both.

"So you were busy? Oh, that's ok. I can understand that." She laughed shortly. "Yeah, with me it's pretty hectic too, since… well, thinking of which, care to meet again?"

Again a short delay. "Well, next month I'm having a ball in honor of my birthday. I'm having it at my youngest son's house, will you be attending?"

Sasuke frowned, who the hell was she talking to?

"Of course, she is welcomed to come. It would be a pleasure to meet her." Mikoto smiled brightly. "Great, then it's settled. I'll call you later on about it, ok? Perfect. Goodbye." She hanged up the telephone and turned to her son and husband, excitement written all over her face.

"You guys will not believe who I just talked to."

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"This is going to be a blast." Ino grinned, sitting at a round table with all kinds of magazines in front of her, together with Sakura and Tenten.

Miguelina, Tsunade and Shizune were making arrangements. Very _important_ arrangements.

"Absolutely." Sakura stated, turning a page of one of the books.

Tenten was quiet for a moment, thinking about something, then spoke. "You know what? You need something to make your plan better than it already is." The other two looked up with question marks in their eyes. "See it as an alliance."

"Don't you think my plan is sufficient?" Sakura asked, wondering what was wrong with it.

"It is, it is…"

"But?" The emerald eyed added, feeling that there's going to be a 'but'.

"But," Tenten repeated. "It will succeed much more with it."

"Ok, define 'it'." Ino couldn't take it, curiosity got the best of her.

"Sakura… you need… an escort."

Ino jumped up, nodding feverish in agreement to Tenten suggestion.

"Yes! Yes, Sakura you must!" Obnoxiously she told her best friend. "It will be _perfect_!"

"Ok…" Sakura said slowly. "But whom?"

The coffee brown haired woman, of not much older than 23, snickered like a child.

"This is now the benefit you have if you are in service of Tsunade as long as I have been."

Sakura knew within this past year that Tenten was in Tsunade's service since she was 15.

The younger Hinosyuri Tenten of that time was searching for a job, and Tsunade happened to have the need of another assistant, since the work became too much for her and Shizune.

Believe it or not, from the first time that Tsunade had laid eyes on the girl, she didn't like her. She looked like she was taken from the ghetto right then and there; with ruffled hair and a heavy tom-boyish look, chewing bubblegum with her mouth wide open and looking around the place like she wanted to be anywhere else except there.

Which was true, she really didn't want to be there.

Her parents had scolded her, commanded that she had to find a job, instead of playing with knifes or all kinds of sharp objects, or hanging around with boys. Her intelligence was far too great to be wasted by such foolishness.

Everybody in the neighborhood thought, and also said, that she would find the crappiest job in the world and end up a lesbian crack-whore. She was determined to show them what she could do and to shut their mouths.

So, she walked, more like stormed, into Tsunade's office -still in Japan back then- to apply for the toughest job she had to offer. The blonde Senju had laughed out loud, literally, and told her that she didn't belong here.

Tsunade only misjudged her, but who wouldn't? One glance at the 15 year old Tenten and you would think that she was a drugs dealer or a leader of some gang and wasn't much smarter than an empty can of coke. Tsunade even insulted her, and had send her away.

But the hobo looking Tenten was persistent and pushy, having no fear at all and insulted her back with as much flair as Tsunade did. The amber-eyed female liked her spirit, strong, and gave her one chance to prove herself. She gave Tenten the toughest work she had.

And that was _Paperwork_.

Doing research of every document, correct them, retype them and neatly organize them. Tenten, thinking it was a piece of cake, accepted the offer, and in return she got two piles, very high piles, of paperwork.

Which she needed to complete within 24 hours. Something that not even Shizune could pull off.

Still, Tenten took her chance and actually succeeded, coming back to Tsunade's office with all the papers, 10 minutes before her 24 hour deadline ended.

Smacking her mouth while chewing her gum, she indifferently asked if that was it.

The blonde woman stood agape, lips wide apart and jaw somewhere on the floor as she saw that Tenten not only completed her task, but also mapped all the documents.

She was hired on the spot and was in her service ever since.

Tenten proved all evil tongues wrong, exactly what she intended. Delicacy and perfection came over the years, as she grew over that uncaring, tomboy phase, quickly turning into a sophisticated, almost aristocratic young woman.

She wasn't _'T.T from the hood'_ anymore. She became Hinosyuri Tenten, assistant of _the_ Senju Tsunade.

From a complete nobody, to a very wealthy, traveling-all-over-the-world somebody.

Oh yeah, she shut everybody's trap alright.

And being Tsunade's assistant for that long, learning everything of the Senju clan, several languages, she also met many people.

And that what she was going to take advantage of now.

"I know a few people who are in for Tsunade's service. Let's say they're still in her debts. She helped them out years ago and I think it's time for them to return the favor." She wiggled her eyebrows slowly.

"One who lives in Miami?" Ino was already jumpy about the whole plan.

"Yup. I'll make a list of the best men, and then pick one."

"That's perfect!" Ino chirped. "Do that, Tenten!"

"I will."

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- **One month later -**

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Miguelina raced around Sakura checking if no hair of her was out of place.

"I am perfect, Miguelina. Will you just stop and go check on my mother if hers is ok?" Sakura sweat dropped, but was a bit startled when she saw the awfully serious face of the now black haired Dominican woman.

"No, it is not peerfect. Señora Senju is not going to make a blow away appeernce. Yuu do. That is why yuu are much more importante than Señora Senju right now."

"But still, she is also coming back into their picture after twenty-three years!"

"No me importa!" She stated. Fixing something on her dress.

"And the party isn't for over three hours, would you please calm down?"

"Molesto niña. Callate, por favor!"

"Hey! First off, I'm not annoying, you are, and don't tell me to shut up!" Sakura growled back, understanding her completely.

"I am going to go to Señora Senju now, yuu stay here and dun move."

"Finally." She muttered under her breath, Miguelina shooting her a glare.

That woman was always like that when she was fixing them up. Most of the time, Miguelina was a very nice, fun woman, who smiled like 24/7, if only she wasn't preparing them for some appearance. Then she would get fast irritated, because she wants everything to be perfect, till the very last hair on their heads must be in the correct angle, or else she would curse them all to hell.

That's how she knew if Miguelina was angry, annoyed or something in that neighborhood. She would immediately talk more Spanish than usual.

"Sakura!"

Someone yelled from the hall, it was almost inaudible, that means that it was coming from somewhere downstairs.

"Sakuraaaa!" It was Ino, only she could yell that hard.

"I'm coming!" She yelled back.

"No se atreven!" She heard Miguelina scream from the end of the hall, where her mother's room was.

"Too bad, Miguelina." Sakura giggled. "I'm so going." She walked out of her room, thanking that Miguelina didn't force her to wear her shoes just yet, and went bare foot down the stairs.

Ino and Tenten stood in the hall, where also the front door was, the honey-colored double doors.

They were both grinning, looking creepily suspicious.

"What?" The pink haired asked upon seeing their faces.

"Nothing." They both said at the same time.

"Ok, tell me right now what's going on."

"Fine, remember when we talked about the plan and what you needed?" Ino began.

"Yes." Sakura nodded. "That was-" She suddenly gasped hard. "You didn't?"

"Oh hell yeah we did!" Tenten laughed. "We told Tsunade about it the very same day, and she loved it. She praised me for my smartness and said she never would've thought of it herself." She told her proud.

"You are daring to say to me that you guys actually-"

"Yup, yup. We found you…" Ino said.

"_An escort!_" Both her and Tenten yelled out.

Sakura softly slapped her forehead. Careful not to move too much before her hair messed up, or else her head would hang for it at Miguelina.

"And he's here right outside the door." Ino proceeded.

Sakura shot her eyes up. "You're kidding?"

"No way." Tenten smiled from ear to ear.

"You want to meet him?" Ino asked, her hand already at the doorknob.

"I don't think I have a choice with you guys." If she thought that both of them apart was worse, then together they were more worse than a hurricane!

"Ah, I need to meet him anyway, so bring him on." Sakura straighten her shoulders, wondering who it is that they chose for her.

Ino and Tenten nodded to each other and the platinum blond opened the door.

A tall man was revealed, wearing a 3-button black suit with a silver tie.

Sakura had to force herself not to gape at this man, of how handsome he really is. Blinking, she had to do, blinking because this man was so beautiful.

His hair was so smooth looking, that sexy fall-onto-his-forehead kinda type and you instantly got the desire to ran your hand through it. And his eyes, so amazingly extraordinary color. He smirked sideways, a look to die for, and you could see in his air that he knew he was hot.

Arrogant, he must be.

But that didn't run through her mind at all, as it was numb by this breath-hitching-in-your-throat kind of man.

He took his hand out of his pocket, -a simply action but looked so delicious- and strode forward, within two steps of his long legs he was before her.

Sakura had the hardest time in keeping her mouth closed, not going to do such an un-lady-like action, and going to catch flies.

Instead, she kept quiet, very quiet, and immobile, gazing up to the man who was going to be her escort.

Where did Ino and Tenten find this man? Right from some magazine? Or television? Because…

Wow.

"Miss Senju?" He asked. And his voice, so deep it almost made her skin crawl in sheer delight.

Sakura forgot how to breathe and only swallowed, trying to find her voice.

The man shortly chuckled and actually did the most sinful thing in the entire men kind. He ran his hand through his light brown hair.

Unbeknown to Sakura, Tenten and Ino were actually drooling behind him, wishing they could be in her shoes this very moment.

The pink haired still didn't answered, and he knew exactly why, hence the chuckle earlier, and so continued. "The assistant of Senju Tsunade asked for a favor for this evening. Upon hearing Senju-sama's name, I immediately agreed, no matter what the cause was. Seems that I was needed to play the escort for her daughter. I never knew she had a daughter. And may I say, that you are much more beautiful than on the picture I was shown. And it what a picture it was."

She got no idea what he just said. Oh hell, she wished he didn't speak so long, because hearing his voice alone made her mind fall more into the hypnotizing trance than she already was. His words didn't even register.

Tenten came out of her ogling position very fast and noticed that Sakura was only staring at the man instead of giving some answers. So she thought she could help out by coughing.

Sakura mentally shook her head and slapped herself back to present. "Um, yes. I'm Senju Tsunade's daughter. Sakura." She spoke up, almost squeaking like a mouse like she used to. But could find a steady voice in the brink of time.

"Only, I'm Uchiha Sakura." She paused a moment to look his expression. "You see, I am-"

"No need for explanations, Miss Senju." He spoke softly. "Everything is already told to me."

"Then why-"

"I think it sometimes it will be a relief if someone called you at your rightful name, if you don't mind?" He smiled, showing a perfect set of white teeth.

Sakura only smiled because his own smile was so alluring, making you want to do it too.

Charming, and smooth. He knew what he was doing.

"Well, Sakura." Ino walked up to them until she was right next to the tall man. Typical Ino, just to stand next to the man.

He blinked with his beautiful eyes, the color of amber around his pupil surrounded by deep forest green.

He looked back to Sakura. "I don't think I'm well introduced." He stated, his voice somehow going lower.

'_Oh, he's sooo doing it on purpose.'_

"I'm Tatiana Kiyoshi. But please, call me Kiki."

Somehow the name sounded familiar to Sakura, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Why did his name ring a bell?

She narrowed her eyes slightly, and furrowed her brows, her thinking façade.

He smiled, a charming smile, a practiced pick-up-the-ladies smile. He probably had many women.

That's when it hit her.

This was Tatiana Kiki.

The 'other man'.

The man… that Karin ran away with and was pregnant of!

And he…

He… was her escort to Sasuke's mother's birthday ball!

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**A/N; …**

**Ok, so this was not the chapter everyone was waiting for. Hehe… But you can guess it, the next one will. **

**Am I not bad? Just, a bad, bad, girl? Letting the very man who ran away with that bitch (why didn't she stay away?) be THA escort of Sakura to Mikoto's ball? **

**Just begin to IMAGINE Sasuke's reaction. Mwhahahahhaa [insert Evil Laugh]**

**The most fun part to write in this chapter was Tenten's history. I don't know, I had a blast with that one. **

**This was one chapter entirely dedicated to Sakura, for you guys to see how much she changed within a year. (Can suddenly understand Spanish! O_o) How strong she has become and the slightly hate she has for Sasuke. **

**Of course, who wouldn't if you'd be Sakura. ** **A small bit of Sasuke's life in it, just for you to be up to date, how his life turned out in a year. **

**I'm warning ya, this is only the beginning of an over-entirely emotional Sasuke! I'm gonna make that boy feel! And several feelings for him, he never thought that he would ever feel, will go through him. All kinds of feelings, in 2 minutes flat! **

**Look out Sasuke, because Sakura is a man-eater! A man-eater I tell you, and she's on the hunt! **

…**ok, I'm slightly overreacting…**

**Boring chapter I find so myself, no SasuSaku in it whatsoever, and then that whole Karin shit. Ugh, I have to keep myself from gagging. Yuk! I get sick of it. I really wonder if there are any SasuKarin shippers out there… (So I can KILL them!)**

…

…**um, Review please, tell me what ya thought!**

**I wish I could sent teddy-bears and action-figures to everybody lol.**

**R&R**

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'_Hatred does not cease by hatred; but only by love. That is the eternal rule.' _**- Buddha**

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralda_

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_To Be Continued _

_Stay tuned for next time Same Site Same Story_

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	10. Want To Bet

**A/N; Ok, so I am assuming that this is **_**the**_** awaited chapter. Believe me, it's nothing. **

**Or maybe… it is?**

**I dunno. You have to find that out for yourself. And do not forget to **_**tell **_**me what ya **_**thought.**_** Thoughts people, I want thoughts! It helps me, I like it. Just like long reviews, I love them, absolutely adore them. **

**Oh and I hate Kishimoto! He keeps people in suspense so much, I have to keep myself from flying to Japan myself and hit the manga out of him. I want to know! Is Kakashi going to die yes or no? I personally don't think so… but you can never know with Kishi. If I have learned anything in the years that I'm fan of Naruto is that he can be fucking unpredictable! **

**Anyway, enough of my rambling and on with the story. **

**Disclaimer; Heh. …. Hahaha…. Haha… No. **_**Naruto**_** not mine… **

**Re-check!**

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'_Love sees sharply, hatred sees even more sharp, but jealousy sees the sharpest for it is love and hate at the same time.' _**- Arab Proverb**

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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She stood still, looking at Tatiana Kiki as if he was from Mars -a very good-looking man from Mars- and wouldn't believe that he was going to be her escort for the night.

Emerald eyes, behind long black lashes went impossible wide. She said absolutely nothing. Mentally, she was still fighting to keep her jaw closed together, that still wanted to hit the ground.

"We're going to leave you two alone so that you can… get to know each other." Ino smiled mischievous, pulling Tenten at the arm out of the foyer.

Now they were standing there, in complete silence. One staring in utterly shock and other taking in her body that was more than perfect in that dress she was wearing.

The pregnant quietness that hung between them was deathly, at least from Sakura's side.

Tatiana Kiki, on the other hand, only cocked his head slightly to the right, letting that naughty little -delicious- lock fell once again, partly on his face.

'_Come on, pull yourself together, you fool! He's your freaking escort for the night, not your future betrothed!' _

"Tatiana Kiki?" She asked, which was unnecessary, he introduced himself a couple of minutes ago perfectly clear.

"Yes." He nodded shortly.

"I'm sure I have heard your name somewhere before." She knew who he was, she only wanted to see if he comes clean on his own. She was going to play this dirty now. Or fair. Either way.

She's going to see what his answers will be, if he's honest with her, considering the fact that he knows that she's married to Uchiha Sasuke, the same man he had stolen his previous almost-wife-to-be from.

The right corners of his lips pulled slightly up, into a smirk.

She decided from now on that it should be forbidden for men like Tatiana to even smirk, it may cause the extinct of the female races.

"Possible. Since I am the owner of Tatiana corporations, a company very new to America." He stated as smooth as velvet, silently thanking Uchiha, because even if they are holding a terrible grudge against one another, -from day one- they still have signed a contract that needs to be kept up to.

Sakura resisted the urge to narrow her eyes. He knew what he answered, naturally he wasn't going to say directly that he was the one that impregnated Karin and all that what is already history.

But Sakura, the stubborn woman she… _became_, continued. "I'm sure I have heard your name, amongst other things."

Kiki said nothing for a short moment, lowering his eyelids half the way closed, giving her a knowing look and somewhere deep in his exquisite orbs, something smugly lay.

"Come now, Miss Senju," He stated, whether there was a mock in his voice or pure amusement, Sakura couldn't tell. "We both know that you are testing my words this very moment. So now I wonder, should I say what you want me to say directly, or beat around the bush?"

By the look of Sakura's almost glaring expression, he easily figured that it was the absolute direct way with this woman. "As the wife of Uchiha Sasuke, I'm sure you have heard that I was the one who took Sarina Karin away from him."

The pink haired stood in disbelief, but she actually saw in Kiki's eyes that he somehow saddens when he told that line. "And that she was caring your child." She added.

The man sighed quietly, bringing his fallen light-brown colored lock neatly behind with a run of his hand.

"It is exactly as you said, she _was_ caring my child. In the brick of time she decided to remove the baby without even notifying me about it. We were at Orlando in that time, at one of my apartments, far from Miami like she wanted to be. And I accepted the fact that there wouldn't be a child yet, she stated that she wasn't ready for one, so it didn't matter. As long as she was with me, I didn't care. But months past and she grew away from me, and one day she decided that it was Uchiha that she loved. So she left."

Sakura was actually surprised by his words and the tone that they were said in. He sounded so pained, so tortured because she left him for another. Even if she wasn't his to begin with.

Despite the almost-heartbreaking moment, he turned to look up at the woman and shot her a mesmerizing smile.

Sakura assumed that he was trying to get over Karin, to be strong and forget her. Just as she was doing with Sasuke, and that made her feel connected to him. He was exactly as her, only he wasn't getting revenge like she did.

"Come Miss Senju, let's not dwell in dramatic, unneeded memories like that, but rather at present time, and that is you going to do beautiful at a party." He cheered up the both of them by changing the subject. "Although I hope you shall not go bare foot."

Sakura laughed shortly, and blushed when remembering that she came down without any shoes on her feet. She never would've guessed it, but she liked him. He had a calm overcome, was polite and sweet in his own way. And is very attractive to the eyes.

_-Cough- you mean; lick-your-lips-off-yummy! -Cough- _

"Kiki!"

The two below, who were still standing in the foyer, whipped their attention and their gazes to the stairs, where a blonde woman stood all dressed up with a grin on her face.

The Tatiana created smirk, turning fully to the woman. "Tsunade-sama." He gave a slight bow out of pure respect.

"Look at you! You've grown up so nicely. And handsome that you are! I bet that you broke many women's hearts." Tsunade complimented him, when walking off the stairs.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. And if I may be so bold, you look absolutely beautiful yourself."

"I thank you even so, Kiki. I see you've met my daughter. How's your mother?" Tsunade continued making on small talk.

"She's fine. My parents are in Italy as we speak."

Sakura followed silently to the light conversation her mother and that amazing looking man were having.

Somehow she wondered if her mother has some special radar in her. Because it seems that she knows the parents of many unbelievable fine men since they were young.

She observed Kiki, giving him an once over again, from bottom till top. And she cannot help but unconsciously give credit to Sarina Karin. Face it, when it comes to men, that redhead does have a very good taste. First Sasuke and in-between this droolicious man.

Damn.

"Sakura?" Tsunade's voice reached her ears, snapping her back to present time.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind getting ready, so we can take our leave? Miguelina is probably furious up there."

She nodded once, and her eyes met Kiki's playful ones when she bypassed him.

He followed her form, watching how her appealing dress complimented her person and smirked.

Tsunade on the other hand was gazing at Kiki. "Ah, I see that my daughter has picked up your interest. You no longer feel obliged, forced even, to be her escort tonight, isn't it?"

He turned his extraordinary, beautiful eyes to the blonde older woman. "On the contrary, Tsunade-sama, I had never felt obliged to be here. I volunteered happily enough when it concerned about you. I am very thankful behalf my entire family and I had the very urge to help you back out. And if I must be frank, your daughter had picked up my interest since the first time I saw her. She is nothing what I expected."

Tsunade had a feeling of smugly pride course through her. Oh yes, her daughter _became_ beautiful alright.

"And one she must be that a man like you has a liking for her. People as yourself only seem to like ones who can be called beyond beauty."

Kiki didn't respond to that as he knew it was true and gave her a smirk instead.

Yes, he likes Sakura. She seems like a very intelligent, alert woman. He wondered why any man would leave someone like her behind for another. She had unique features that no one had and any male would be proud and more than happy to have a claim on her.

Uchiha Sasuke is a fool by letting her go.

And he will realize tonight how stupid he has been.

.

.

.

* * *

-**Couple of hours later, Uchiha Mansion. Uchiha Mikoto's Celebration Ball-**

**

* * *

**

Evening gowns, suits, champagne, twinkle lights for as far as the eye could reach. Smiles, laughter, drinking and meeting went around.

The house was crowded with people; the front yard was busy with expensive cars and limousines dropping off the guests. Here and there were guests talking, catching up and enjoying their drinks. Many people came; everybody who's an anybody who knew Uchiha Mikoto attended this ball.

The ballroom was the most crowded of al; guests spread around, talking and here to celebrate Mikoto's birthday. A live band played soft, slow-dance music. Some couples even went to sway along with the music.

Everybody was enjoying their time, including the group of tall men that was looking over the place.

"Yo man, this party is hoppin'!" Kiba grinned as he saw two females walk by in beautiful evening gowns. His gaze hungrily followed their back.

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed looking together to them with him. "I didn't know your mother knew this many hot chicks, teme."

"Me neither." He stated monotone, not looking at them at all. Actually his gaze was constantly on one person alone. And that was Karin.

She stood there with a blond haired woman that reached her shoulders and was rather busty. But he didn't care as he was fixated on his girlfriend who was wearing a white, very much revealing, dress. Her hair half pinned up. He watched her laugh at her friend, and was almost hypnotized by it. Her smile was alluring, it wasn't as angelic as his mother's though but it came pretty close.

"Wearing this shitty suits is such a pain in the ass." Shikamaru said irritated, pulling on his clothes here and there.

"Yeah, I hate that kind of suits too. It reminds me on one of P. Diddy's suits. Or Puff Daddy. Or P. Daddy. Or Diddy, or whatever the fucks name the man has."

Shikamaru, Neji, Lee and Kiba raised their eyebrows at Naruto, finding it quite strange because usually Kiba would make such a comment.

"Whatever." The Nara shrugged it off. "It's a drag."

"Forget 'bout that sizzle. N-man, look there!" Kiba said to the Uzumaki, pointing to two other young ladies who passed them.

"Damn." The blonde replied with a perverted grin.

"Humph, I can't believe that you guys are standing there like two horny teenagers, ogling at the beautiful, youthful ladies like that. It's not polite."

"Ah, chill out, Busy Brows. Because of that weirdo gay-ass talk is the very reason that you can't find any woman!" The azure eyed retorted.

"What?! That's so not true! I respect ladies, that's all. Unlike you filthy, perverted, pig-" He came to an abrupt halt when his eyes fell upon something behind Naruto.

"_Wow._" Lee breathed out.

"What?" Both Naruto and Kiba asked united when they saw Lee's bewildered, surprised look.

The man dressed in a green suit with a vague orange tie said nothing, eyes going impossibly bigger then they naturally were.

The two men asked Rock Lee again what was going on.

Still unable to speak any word, he only pointed.

Neji, who was silently following the argument, also became curious as to why Lee stopped talking. He, along with Nara, Uzumaki and Inuzuka turned slowly their own gazes to where exactly Lee was staring at.

Everyone in their group looked, all except for Sasuke, his attention was still on Karin. The exact opposite way of where they were glancing at. And it was a sight to see when they set their eyes on this specific something. Or rather…

Someone.

Silence fell in the group that lasted at least a whole minute, which is very long considered Naruto and Kiba were present.

Sure enough, the blonde was the first who spoke.

"Wow." He breathed out like Lee did.

"R-right with ya…" Kiba stated just above a whisper, jaw dropping to his feet.

Even Neji and Shikamaru were agreeing with them, all their eyes were oversized when they saw, and noticed, who it was.

"Un-"

"Believable." Neji added for Shikamaru.

Meanwhile, in far-away land, Sasuke had a smirk on his face as he saw that Karin had finally sensed someone's gaze on her and looked back at her boyfriend, winking at him.

Bad thoughts started to run through his head, as he could already see himself, feel himself, throw Karin on his big-ass bed he owns, rip her out of that white dress, expose her creamy skin as he kissed his way down to-

His train of thoughts were under broken when felt a hand tap his upper left arm.

Fuck Naruto right now, he thought, slightly jerking his arm away.

But the tap continued quite persistently, urging to have his attention.

His patients were already running thin because he was interrupted with his plan how to ravage Karin later tonight, so with a snap towards the idiot's direction he sneered; "What?!"

The blonde's ocean blue eyes weren't fixed on him, but rather passed his shoulder.

His friend said nothing, instead he pointed, a mirror image of Lee earlier, towards the thing he's gaping at like some ordinary cartoon.

He quickly looked to the other males, ready to ask what the fuck was wrong with Naruto, demanding an explanation, when he found also them in the same frozen state.

Even Neji! And that is saying a lot.

Deciding that he too should look and see whatever the hell they were seeing, he turned fourthly around.

He literally stopped. With doing everything. His movements stopped, his breathing stopped, even his heart beats, stopped.

To say that Uchiha Sasuke was shocked, _surprised_, was an understatement.

An understatement of the century.

You see, he's an Uchiha, he never showed emotions or any other ridiculous feelings or thoughts that passed him. But right now, at this very moment, his onyx orbs practically dropped out of their sockets, his lips were actually apart from each other in shock, and his mind went numb of what he saw.

What. The. Fuck?

The first three words that was created in his mind.

This what he saw, what he was taking in, was an illusion, a Fata Morgana, a mirage. This was freaking impossible.

It couldn't be true. It could not. No possible. Not even probable. Not anything.

_She_ couldn't be here.

But it was true. It was possible and definitely probable. Because there she stood, in a devil red evening dress that reached the ground, with a slit so daringly high that if she took a step too big she would be visible for every eye to see, strapless, nothing covered her shoulders and arms, and the dress was V-cut, which was showing breasts, and a slow hint of cleavage, that Sasuke never knew she even had, stood the one and only _Haruno Sakura_.

"Y-your… wife." Naruto answered after a long pregnant silence.

Correction; _Uchiha _Sakura.

He felt like he was hit by a car, a truck, a freaking bus, when reality met him.

That is not…

He blinked, and he blinked good because he refused to rub his eyes like a child, checking if his mind wasn't playing games with him somehow. His surroundings became ignorant to him, the world consisted of only him and her. He saw nobody else but her, he heard no sounds at all.

He took her in, like he never had. She wore her hair down, it was very professionally dried and styled, it was longer than when he last saw her, always in a braid, but now it was loose, and seemed more silky than any milk and softer than any velvet. The thick red glasses were gone and instantly her eyes came out, green, emerald, green, emerald. The color that hunted his mind for a long while in the past, came back to him, before him. They stood out above all.

She was there.

She was here.

She was in front of him.

She was before him.

She was…

She was…

She is _beautiful._

_Fucking unbelievable beautiful. _

There were no other words that could be placed for her. No other words that could describe her.

The way she stood there, one whole long, amazingly, smooth leg became visible by the help of the slit in her daring dress. A red, very high heeled shoe below. The picture of her was to kill. And that was noticeable as somehow the entire ballroom turned and went quiet.

Her face, her flawless face with light make up and long black lashes, was somehow new to him. She was looking around, didn't look angry nor impassive, but she wasn't smiling either.

She was unreal. She an oxymoron. She wasn't there, he was sure. Too beautiful, this is _Impossibly_ -with a capital 'I'- Sakura.

She looked nothing, _nothing_ at all like before, yet it was indispensable her. Because no one, none other in this entire world had eyes like hers. He would never, ever, for as long as he lived forget those eyes.

Because in reality, since the first time he noticed how deep green her eyes were, as ignorant and in how much in self-denial he was, he found them mesmerizing.

Mesmerizing, was actually still too softly put.

She was beyond beautiful now, she looked like an angel. A freaking angel. Since when does Uchiha Sasuke find anyone look like an angel?

How in God's name, -someone please explain this to him- could the ugly maid turn into this… this…

Goddess?

A whole year. One fucking year he hasn't seen her and she transformed into _that_?

Miraculously, his eyes could shift, and he somewhat tore his eyes away from Sakura. His gaze landed on a woman who was quite tall, blond hair pulled into a nice bun, and was wearing a black cocktail dress with breasts so big Sasuke wondered how the dress could hold them.

Her face looked… angry? Glaring? Well, she was frowning. Frowning at the people in this party because as soon as they entered, all the guests had looked their way and froze. Not much for her but for the pink haired woman who stole the thunder with simply appearing in that sexy, off-the-hook evening dress.

Karin, who was among all the other people, looked too. And she practically gasped out loud.

What the hell? What is _she_ doing here? What the fuck is _she_ doing here? She is not supposed to be here, she isn't even allowed to be here.

Karin's hands clenched around the glass that she was holding, hatred filled every inch of her body as she stared at that despicable, low-life excuse of a woman.

She knew exactly who entered. You couldn't miss it; that hair. That ridiculous colored hair, that she saw a long time ago when she was still a ugly maid, -that looked well cared and soft now- and those eyes, -she wasn't wearing those hideous glasses- belonged to only one person.

Karin cursed her. How dare she? Where does she get the guts to show up at Mikoto's birthday, in Sasuke's house while she was once banned from here, and while that fake marriage she shares with Sasuke is wrong in every aspect that was possible?

Just because she _suddenly_ has money and blows up here in a great dress and with an entire make-over, she thinks she can waltz back in here?

_That bitch!_

Never in her pathetic life! Sasuke was hers. From the very beginning. And he was going to divorce Sakura, no matter how many times she comes with a blow-away entrance. Sasuke loved_ me_, she thought, and she knew that. Because if he could choose her above that pink haired loser once, he could do it again.

That, she was sure of.

Fugaku and Mikoto, who were currently somewhere in the middle of the ballroom also found themselves staring at the two newcomers. They watched them in confusion, noting that they knew that woman in red.

In fact, it was their daughter-in-law.

Huh?

What was she doing here?

Fugaku blinked once, coming out of his trance quickly, not even sticking to think at how much she changed for over the year, he didn't want see her. He wanted her to stay gone. So why has she returned to his son's house while he made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her here?

"Why the fuck is that servant here?" He questioned, grumbling low so nobody would hear him.

Mikoto swallowed some oxygen, snapped back to reality by her husband's words, for she wasn't believing the sight that greeted her.

Sakura… she has changed.

And…

She was glad.

Mikoto didn't know why they did came here now, but seeing that Sakura was here with someone familiar she decided to find it out.

Her feet took her to the two women. She was probably the first one in the entire ballroom that moved, and as she walked eyes followed her with every step. All kinds of eyes, except those of her youngest son.

She created a smile. "Tsunade, such a long time."

The Senju who looked quite intimidating and was first frowning, formed her own smile. Amber eyes going softer upon seeing her.

"Mikoto," She replied. "Too long indeed. I am happy to see you again after all those years."

"Yes, so do I."

"Congratulations with your birthday." Tsunade hugged the Uchiha briefly, and the black haired clearly felt how her big bosom pressed against her.

Mikoto pulled back from her, and her gaze fell to the shorter female behind her friend. The pink haired, who stood with arrogance in her air, was looking around the place with slightly narrowed eyes and together-drawled eyebrows.

Tsunade seeing this, hid her smile and took the next step that was according the plan. "Oh, where are my matters?" She sighed lightly, a knowing smirk on her painted lips. With one of her arms she pulled the younger lady closer to herself.

Sakura and Mikoto's eyes met, one was hard, other rather surprised to see that look in her emerald eyes. Where was the shy, easily embarrassed woman she had known a year ago?

"This is Sakura…" The blonde didn't mentioned a last name on purpose, for she was still officially Uchiha.

"My daughter."

Mikoto's jaw dropped.

How impropriate, that someone of her caliber actually did something like that in public society. But everybody, every single soul in the ballroom though the same;

_She's her what?_

There fell an uncomfortable silence between the many guests, all staring at the amber-eyed woman and the one beside her.

Especially to the one besides her.

The group of men heard her as well, Sakura was that lady's daughter. Sasuke had passed the phase of shock and was now… paralyzed.

Her daughter? Impossible, Sakura was an orphan. How in the world…?

Karin glared, that woman was that little servant's mother? No wonder she comes back rich and all.

"Y-your daughter?" Mikoto asked, checking if she heard her correctly.

"Yes, _my_ daughter." Tsunade wanted to laugh and point in their faces, and smirked evilly inwardly, trying very hard to keep it from her expression.

Tsunade had told Mikoto on the telephone that she would bring her daughter, she herself gave the invitation, but that it turns out to be _her_ is… is…

Beyond belief.

She thought that she heard that the rosette over there had no parents. Not anymore at least.

"Oh…" Mikoto passed the weight of her between her feet. "Well, that's.. um, great." She laughed nervously. "Then… welcome and enjoy the party." What else could she do? She could hardly sent her friend and her daughter out.

"Thank you." Tsunade replied. "Believe me, I will." The words that came out of her mouth didn't sound good at all. But Mikoto forced herself to ignore it and make from their way, back to her husband.

The current head of the Senju clan looked over her shoulder to her daughter, seeing that her face was serious, but in an attractive way. Her smirk grew, so far everything went perfect.

.

.

.

* * *

"Damn, that cannot be her." Naruto half pointed to said woman. "When did she became _that_ fine?"

"I dunno man, but hell, I wanna have a piece of that ass!" Kiba replied, practically drooling. "If I knew she was hiding that body below those bags, then I would've grabbed her a long time ago!"

Sasuke was still staring at her, it was as if his mind couldn't comprehend what it was seeing. It wasn't progressing the sight of her, and refused to believe it. She, on the contrary, wasn't even looking his way.

Did she do that on purpose? It seems like she was holding herself back from glaring to everybody and didn't move from her place. One of her hands rested on her hip, that was perfectly curved in that dress of hers.

It was like she was… waiting.

For who exactly, he didn't know. And he wasn't bothering with cracking his skull to find out, because he was too occupied, too busy, too hypnotized by her sudden goddess-like beauty.

Never in his life had he been so shocked, so taken aback, so flabbergast by anybody in his life. And now, he was standing there at his mother's party, in his own house, breath taking away, eyes wide, wordless like a statue.

By no one other than his wife.

"She's gorgeous like a youthful flower…" Lee whispered.

Tsunade sends her a nod, that doesn't goes by the eyes of the men standing near, and the rosette acknowledged her with a slow blink.

Then, the blonde woman walked away.

Sasuke picked up all his thrown away senses and pulled them together, Sakura was alone now.

"Hey teme, go to her. This is your chance!"

Sasuke mentally agreed, this was the best opportunity to go to her. He was moments unaware searching for the perfect time to go to her.

And without taking a single step, he immediately halted in his movements.

"O-or not…" Naruto stuttered. All the males saw how somebody came to stand next to the lovely woman in red.

A hand rested on Sakura's bare shoulder. She turned her eyes the owner, and slowly -here's where Sasuke fell in total awe- a smile came on her full, plum, pink lightly glossed lips.

As also he looked who it was that touched Sakura, his breathing hitched, once again, when he realized who it was.

Naruto was the first one to gasp.

What in the world was going on here?

This was absurd. This wasn't even logical. This was fucking shit. The man who dares to come to _his_ house, at _his _mother's party, touching _Sakura_ was no other than Tatiana Kiki.

An unbelievable hate that he haven't felt for anybody before went through him. Tatiana Kiki. Of all people. Sasuke wanted to go there and beat the hell out of him.

And there he was, smirking at Sakura, touching Sakura, taking Sakura's hand, in his own fucking house.

Where does he get the nerve?

Pressing nails into palms, creating crescents, he glared till dead. Oh, how the blood boiled in his body, how his beats of his heart ringed in his ears, how his hands irked and itched to pummel that guy.

He hated that man. He hated that man with his life and now he was here with Sakura of all women.

First Karin, now her.

Now Sakura, his wife.

He was standing there, an arrogant smugness in his face, smirking down at her.

And _she _was _smiling_ to _him_.

The Uzumaki blinked once when seeing Tatiana with Sakura, and rather than following Kiki and Sakura as they passed them all, into the ballroom, he followed Sasuke's face.

And let him tell you that Sasuke's facial expression was everything but happy. He decided that the color green of jealousy didn't fit him, although he could understand why.

He sees the man that took away his almost-wife that he loved so much, stand there with his present-wife.

_His _wife.

Karin had almost dropped her glass when she saw who the tramp was accompanying.

She couldn't believe it, that lying, ugly, servant whore was with Kiki. Of all the men that walks around in Miami, why Kiki?

She flared her nostrils, pressing her lips hard together in order to prevent herself from jumping on that pink freak and start hitting her. She hates her. She hates that woman till her bones now then she had ever hated her. Couldn't she stay away for where the hell she was and leave entire Miami be?

How she wanted to choke that bitch with the glass in her hands by pushing it forcibly down her throat.

Red colored orbs narrowed into slits, when she saw them. Looking how Kiki smiled at that servant, seeing how Kiki touched that servant, eyeing how Kiki played all charmingly and working his spell on that servant.

And that pink idiot takes all of it, smiling at the right moments, gave a small laugh when he probably says something funny.

_Aaaargh! _How she wants to shoot them now to hell.

Sasuke standing away from her was boiling just as so.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Sasuke growled, not taking his eyes off the couple.

"He's here with her." Shikamaru answered the obvious.

Sasuke held himself not to turn and punch Shikamaru in the face for being a smartass. Even he could see he was with her. Don't screw with him now for he was already pissed.

Naruto gave Shikamaru a slow push behind his shoulder, warning him to not to say those things to Sasuke right now.

The genius shrugged, like he could care. If the Uchiha storms to Tatiana right now and start a fight then the party will finally become a little interesting. He was already bored till death.

Ino wasn't coming till late tonight, he had no idea why she didn't came with him when he left but she claimed she had an important thing to do. He let her, he wasn't one who would interrogate the woman of what she's up to. He's plainly too lazy for that.

Sasuke was sending death glares to one couple alone. Not even caring if other people would notice it. Tatiana Kiki was once again with something of _his_.

Karin felt like she wanted to scream and explode all together, rip all the pink hair form her awful head.

The couple were just there, paying attention to no other than each other, ignoring all the stares. None of the two even glanced to another direction but themselves, as they talked and she laughed of his words.

It was a fake laugh, Karin repeated in her mind. She was doing it to annoy everybody, she knew, oh hell she knew that the whole place would be watching them, and so acting like she was having a splendid time.

Kiki had a smirk of a lifetime on his face, took Sakura's small hand and planted a kiss on her hand.

This was it. This was the last drop for Sasuke. He was going to storm over there and pull Kiki as far away from Sakura as possible.

"Ho there, cowboy." Naruto held him, one hand flat on Sasuke's chest to stop him from going any further.

The blonde already knew what kind of ideas Sasuke got in his furious mind when he, too, saw Kiki kiss Sakura's hand, and he was determent to keep Sasuke on a leash if it was necessary, so he would not make a fuss on his mother's birthday party.

The ebony haired male whipped his head with a force towards him, that Naruto and the other guys wondered how he didn't snap his own neck just now. As Kiba, Lee and even Shikamaru winced at the horrible glare that Sasuke was sending the Uzumaki, the blonde on the contrary didn't even flinch or blinked.

Neji was silent, because he was agreeing with Naruto's intentions of keeping Sasuke calm. The Uchiha could not be left alone right now, and was on a keen eye if he should step in to hold the Uchiha too.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Naruto?" His voice was menacing calm. A hint that he was on the very edge of yelling to the man. Or choking him. Or both.

"Don't go and do anything foolish now, Sasuke." His voice was serious, you could see that he was exactly that because he didn't call his friend at his nickname. "Calm down, there's nothing that you can do about it."

Onyx eyes were almost hidden of how narrowed they were. But it seems that Naruto had made some reasons come into him, because he leaned back. Although the angry look on his face wasn't gone. Not by far.

"I can't believe that she decided to come here with Tatiana. My guesses are that she really hates you." Shikamaru spoke up, the silence was annoying.

The tall Uchiha said nothing, not going to lose the two out of his sight.

"No wonder!" Kiba replied. "By tha sounds of it, Sasuke married her pretty ass, without fucking her. Shit, man how ya must regret it now. Then he ignored her, couldn't give a damn about her, and then left her for that other smokin' redhead who once abandoned 'em. What would ya think that hot lil mama would do? He pushed shawty in that direction himself!"

As much as Sasuke hated the words that came out of that dog-boy's mouth, he was right.

If Sakura hated him now, it was his own fault. But hell, he didn't want anything to do with her back then. And now she was here, in his house once again where she used to work to survive in this world, gorgeous and with a man he absolutely despise.

His own damn fault.

Glancing back to the two, he found his heartbeat quicken.

Sakura smiled at Tatiana, one so angelic he couldn't believe it himself. She had never smiled at _him_ like that. Ever.

And she was smiling at that man. Tatiana smirked her way and bend forward. To her, closer to her. The lips of him passed her own, and went behind in her hair.

He was whispering in her ear! He doesn't have the right to whisper in her ear.

But that was not all.

As he slightly pulled back from her, this time not so far from her face, and she smiled up to him, his hand slipped on her cheek. He was already dangerously close to her, the distance between their lips was already too small, and he came closer.

He was not, definitely _not_ going to kiss her. Not as long as Sasuke was breathing.

Tatiana's nose touched Sakura's, their breaths mingled, and their lips…

Didn't connect because Kiki was roughly pulled back from her.

Sakura gasped, but it was not heard by anybody, as Kiki almost yelled. "Whatthe-?"

Uchiha Sasuke was there, in front of her after a whole year. His looks didn't change one bit, he stayed unbelievable attractive like he always has been. Everything about him was so beautiful, his hair, his face, his body, even his height was handsome.

Seeing him in person after all those time had an effect on her. And she didn't want to admit it, but no one can ignore it. Sasuke was hot in every way that was possible.

She swallowed, air and salvia, because now came it to it. Now she was going to take her revenge. How amazing he may be, he still had hurt her.

His glaring eyes didn't waver for the slightest, and he locked them on Kiki for the time being.

He will deal with Sakura later.

Knowing that this would happen, the beautiful-eyed man pulled himself out of the grasp of the Uchiha and glared just as hard back.

Tension was practically visible between the space of the two men, they were both of the same length and no one blinked.

"What do you even think you're doing?" Sasuke barked low at the man before him, not giving a shit who was watching.

"Why the hell are you intervening in business that isn't yours?" Kiki shot back. Truly angry because he cut him off from kissing the beautiful lady. What he was showing to Sakura wasn't an act. This was him actually flirting with the woman, and she knew it.

"From the moment you stepped in here with her," He still didn't even look in her way. "It became my business."

Sakura switched glances between the both of them, here she was, standing between two males she never even dreamt of to be fighting for her, both incredibly tempting men, both glaring at each other, both hating each other, both trying to keep their cools, both having a _thing _for her.

She had to pinch herself if this was real.

"You are going to leave _now_." Sasuke spat slow, taking one step closer to the other man.

Sakura inhaled. This was it.

"Excuse me?" She said, earning the attention of both Sasuke and Kiki.

"I am by far any of _your_ business, Sasuke."

Said male froze. His expression did not change from looking pissed, but he did not move either. He fully turned to her, not even noticing Kiki anymore, and set his vicious look on her.

Sakura licked her lips, drew her eyebrows together and glared right back, showing that he wasn't the only one all but content with this situation.

"Sakura."

A long time didn't she heard her name being said by him, by his alluring deep voice, deeper now for he stated it low.

Meaning; he was warning her.

But she raised her chin, unlike she would've done a year ago, and crossed her arms. Giving him, in between the glare a 'what?' look.

"We need to talk."

The rosette woman snorted unladylike. "_You_ want to talk?"

He didn't wait for another answer and walked towards her, standing before her and ready to take her arm and pull her away. But another hand held him from doing so. Sasuke looked over his shoulder, asking himself who had the guts to stop him, and met eye to eye with the same man he loathes.

"Don't even touch her." Tatiana spat at.

Sasuke was clenching his teeth together to not go and hit him right now for touching him. For touching Sakura.

"I am going to talk with _my wife_."

"Oh, _now_ I am your wife?" Sakura asked before him with sneer.

The look in his eyes were saying enough, but Sakura couldn't care less. He could shoot daggers at her till the end of times. But this was the plan. Sasuke should have walked up to them sooner or later, and actually she found it quite strange that he didn't move to her since the first minute saw Tatiana with her.

"Don't worry, Kiki." Her voice talking much more sweeter to him than to Sasuke, and that irritated him. And she knew it. "I'll be right back."

She turned on her heel, not letting Sasuke touch her, because she's afraid that if he did, she will melt into him like putty.

The ebony haired male and the light-brown haired shot each other a glare before Sasuke followed her tail.

Kiki didn't lose them out of his eyesight one moment. This was one woman that Sasuke is not going to end up with. He had his chance, that ship has already sailed.

Sakura walked through the ballroom, knowing exactly where to go as she lived and worked for 2 years in the mansion, ignoring all the stares and found an empty spot at a ceiling high pole.

She turned and opened her mouth.

"What are you doing here with Tatiana Kiki?" Sasuke didn't even gave her a second.

"Why do you care, Sasuke? Last time I checked you didn't gave a rat's ass if I live or die."

The Uchiha was surprised to hear her tone. Since when does she curse? Since when does she even glare up to _him_?

He kept his shock within and played it cool. Ignoring her last words he questioned again.

"What are you doing here with that imbecile?"

Sakura had the urge to scoff, and smack him across the cheek. What an asshole. Till even today, when he must be the one to ask her nicely why she's here, he still treats her like shit and ignore her.

She had underestimated Sasuke. Realizing that this wasn't going to work, she had to strategize anew and do this differently. Sasuke stayed the same as he always was, she found out that anger didn't help with him.

It was because Sasuke could handle with anger, he knew how to stay calm and play cool at all times, and so stay in advantage of every fight. He knew exactly how to react; by not reacting at all. Making the other want to kill him right then and there and so you will lose the control of the argue.

No.

She was not going to be that way, she was not going to be trapped in Sasuke's clever web again. Hell no.

That's why she took an example of the man before her, and stayed calm and collect.

If Sasuke could deal with anger, then she will give him the right opposite.

She soften her eyes, played with a smirk on her lips and changed from attitude within a second. Ever so slightly, she cocked her head to the right, creating a mischievous look on her face.

"It is not a crime to be accompanied by a man. He's my escort of tonight. And I wouldn't call him an imbecile," She stated calmly. "He's rather a gentleman, unlike some people I know."

Sasuke frowned at her sudden change of expression. He could swear that she was ready to mentally kill him. He wasn't expecting this. Not at all.

Oh yeah. She thought, he was confused already. This was going the perfect way.

Deciding to bring it up a notch, she smiled at him. A wonderful smile that was giving to Sasuke for the very first time, very much different than the smile he knew of her a year ago.

'_I'm going to turn the tables, Sasuke-kun.'_ She mentally added the suffix that was spoken to guys in Japan. He will see now how much she has really changed.

She took a step closer to him, shocking him for she had never done such an action ever before, and didn't stop until their bodies almost met. Because of their proximity, she had to arch her neck up to keep looking him in the eye. Her smile turning devious.

What was going on?

Was the only thing that played in his head, smelling her vanilla-honey scent, feeling her body heath radiating off of her, and one of her hands, small and feminine they were, with perfect French manicured nails, rested on his chest.

Confusion took over, as well as another feeling when he felt her hand on him. It was gentle and the sudden urge for him to touch her as well filled him. It didn't matter where, anywhere was fine, if only if he could feel her skin. But he held himself and focused on his anger. On his anger for that bastard that came with her.

As she was raising her head to look up him, he didn't lowered his. Instead he kept his high and only shifted his orbs to down below.

The woman didn't even reach his chin.

Her smile stayed on her face and it annoyed him. That smile, her smile seemed wrong in so many ways, -and she looked more evilly by that red- yet it was better than anything else in this entire world.

Sasuke was, for the first time ever, captivated by a woman.

Not even Karin. Her eyes weren't as hypnotizing as Sakura's, her smile wasn't as amazing as Sakura's.

The smile that was so angelic.

He mentally snapped himself to it. What was wrong with him? He should think about his anger. Anger, anger, anger. Nothing else. Not about her eyes, or her smile, or that way too daring dress, about nothing.

"Say Sasuke…" She began low, her finger making lazy circles on his hard chest. "You're not… jealous, are you?" Finishing off with a look that made something flip inside the Uchiha's stomach.

He was _not_ jealous.

He was absolutely not jealous.

Why would he be? He is happy with Karin, there is no need in being jealous. An useless emotion, much like many others. Like _he_ would ever admit that he was jealous. He rather get himself burned alive, and hit by a sixteen-wheel truck than admit that.

It was not jealousy, but rather hate. Hate for that man and slightly hate for her because she knows, she _so_ knows that Tatiana was the one who ran away with Karin on his wedding day. She was doing this intentionally. And he hated her for it.

He stared into the emerald eyes that enchanted him many times unknowingly, she looked at him playful while he glared back at her. Eyes that were brighten now more than ever with confidence, eyes that were hypnotizing without she even noticing, eyes that he didn't see for a year.

Eyes…

That he missed.

Ignorant to himself, of course.

"Jealous?" He spat out. "Of that idiot? Like I would ever."

Heh… Sakura knew better.

"Sure, then would you mind explaining as to why you ran up to us, pulled Kiki away from me, and dragged me here?" Her remarkable calm tone was still surprising -annoying- him, as well as that smirk upon her -tempting- lips.

"You know very well that you must stay far away from him." He answered.

"Oh, but Sasuke, ever since the moment I stepped out of your cute little mansion last year, I have no obligation to you. I can do whatever the hell I want."

"Sakura-"

"I have a sudden thirst." She interrupted. Finding his expression priceless. "Just go get me a glass of that wonderful champagne of yours."

"Since when do you drink?" Sasuke's eyebrow rose just the smallest millimeter. The Sakura he knew didn't drink one drop of alcohol.

She angled her head in a way as to hide her smile of amusement. The sight presented to Sasuke made it seem like she was a shy child with devilish thoughts.

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"What the fuck are you doing here, and with that whore nonetheless?!" Karin hissed, pulling Kiki roughly to her as soon as Sakura and Sasuke had walked away.

The forest green eyes mixed with amber looked down to the red haired woman. "What, you think you're the only one who can return back to Miami and move on? Surely not, do you?" His voice held utterly calmness, which made Karin question how he could be in this situation.

"And by the way, she isn't screwing around, opening her pussy for every dick that comes in her way like people I know. So don't call her a whore." He responded easily with a slick run through his smooth light-brown hair.

Karin stood perplexed at hearing his words and denied herself to slap him. At least not at a party full of people.

"So you're happy with fucking her nowadays, huh?"

"I am not fucking her. Not yet anyways. I will not make the same mistake twice, so I intend in doing things slow this time instead of rushing, like I used to."

"Kiki, who are you trying to fool? It's clear that you do this to take revenge on me with that woman." She pointed to Sakura, and her glare deepened when she saw Sasuke's tall figure stand a bit too closely to her.

"I can assure you, Karin, I am not. Just like yourself, I want something else."

"_She_ doesn't." The Sarina retorted, her gaze set on the pink haired, who was smiling as she said something to Sasuke. He nodded back to her and suddenly walked away. The woman in red was alone now, her eyes following Sasuke's retrieving form.

Crimson orbs narrowed in pure rage, her knuckles turning ivory to almost red from clenching them too hard.

"I'm going to have a little chat with that thunder-stealing bitch."

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A flash of white beside her caught her attention, and she turned to see a woman with red hair and matching colored eyes. She was dressed in a white dress that was too sluttish for a formal party like this and there was such a fake smile on her face, one so fake that Sakura has never seen anything like it before.

"Hello," She said. "I think you can clearly remember me," Her voice was overly sugared that it was bitter. "I'm Sarina Karin. You know, Sasuke's girlfriend, the one you spilled water on when you were still that maid. Nice dress, by the way."

Of course Sakura knew in an instant who she was. But that she felt so arrogant to put it that way, was a new level of cockiness.

Fine, if she plays it like that, then she can too.

"Oh hello," The tone wasn't much different than Karin's. "Yes, in fact, I do remember you. The one with the… cute shoes." It didn't take a genius to know that was pure sarcasm. "I'm Sasuke's _wife_. Uchiha Sakura. And thank you, Ralph Lauren hand-picked it out for me himself."

Karin stayed with the fake smile, not letting any other guest think that they weren't having a nice conversation while in reality she was biting the inside of her cheek to control herself.

"Sasuke's _supposed_ wife. The servant."

Sakura closed her eyes for three seconds then chuckled. "Ah, I'm not the supposed wife, I _am_ his wife." She brushed one of her fallen pink lock behind her ear with her left hand, letting the redhead see her wedding ring.

She had put it on especially for this party.

Karin's hands were itching to chop the other woman's head off and keep it as a souvenir.

"As true as it may be that you're his… wife," She growled out the word. "I don't even know why you're here. He doesn't love you, never has and never will. You're nothing but the rebound girl. And it shocks me beyond belief of what kind of woman he chose. Pathetic."

Sakura kept her smirk -as fake as it was- on place. Karin will only hope that her taunting will get her angry or even sad.

No, she stayed as she was before, confident and necessary cocky. Her mother had learned her many, and one of them was to shut down your emotions in the right situations and think. That was exactly what she was doing right now.

She turned entirely to Sarina Karin, they were almost the same height if only Karin was a tad taller, and she stared her right in the eye.

There were no fake smiles or smirks now. Now they were openly shooting death glares to each other.

"Believe me, that Sasuke loves me. I can assure you." This was to irritate Karin, Sakura repeated, to irritate them all.

Karin snorted, not blinking at all. "Yeah right, you don't know him, you little rat. You have no idea what he feels. Uchiha Sasuke loves me, he had never loved you, so what makes you think that he will ever in his entire life even like you?" She kept her voice low, so that no one except Sakura could hear her.

The other female wasn't afraid at all. Actually she took a step closer to her face.

"You _want to bet_ that Sasuke has feelings for me?" She threatened in her face.

"Like you ever could."

Her eyes saw Sasuke coming from behind Karin, a glass filled with champagne in his right hand, staring right at them.

"Watch me." She quietly shot, pushing past her.

Sasuke, surprised that Sakura came into his direction, frowned.

He didn't even know what hit him; she met him on the way, her hands found his neck and pulled him down.

The crowd saw the whole spectacle happening. And Karin gasped with them.

Because there in the middle of the entire ballroom, Sakura had crashed her lips on Sasuke…

And kissed him.

Correction, still _kissing_ him.-

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**A/N; She is kissing him! Kissing him! OMFG! **_**She**_** kissed him! She's kissing him! **

***Yell of excitement***

**I don't even know if this is a good cliffhanger or not. In my opinion this whole chapter sucked, but ok, things are finally happening. **

**Now my entire intentions were for you to be anxious for the next chappie because… well… a kiss in a party is a whole big deal. **

**-points and laughs- hahaha screw you Karin, in your face! **

**I just want to make a note here. We all hate Karin, I assume, or else we wouldn't be SasuSaku fans. And yes, I know that from the moment you began to read my story you probably thought; Karin beautiful, wtf? Like in no way of this lifetime! **

**I do not, I repeat N.O.T. find Karin beautiful! Absolutely not, have you seen her hair in the manga? I think that she got her haircut by a senile blind woman, because yuk! And that whole takes-off-her-glasses when she's about to flirt with Sasuke thinking she's hot and all annoys me till no end! I want to punch that motherfucker in the face. I laugh always when Suigetsu insults the heck out of her, in fact, I want him to punch her back with that ultra-muscled arm of him. **

**My point is, of course we all have read thousands and thousands of stories where Karin gets bashed around by everybody ladidaaa we've seen it all. I, in the other hand, do not bash her now. I get her back alright, because I do not like her character at all, but in my opinion, if you read the same kind of bashing over and over again it turns old. **

**That's why I gave her a make-over. Her hair is better in my story and she does wear glasses but doesn't seem nerdy and weird, and in fact, she looks even attractive. I had to, because come on, I cannot let Sasuke love a fucking ugly woman. Like I said in my story, beautiful people need to be with beautiful people. And we can all agree that Sasuke is… too hot for words. *drools, ogles, stares, sighs heavenly, drools more***

**The girl is still one of Kishimoto's characters, also she needs to get credit once in a while. **

**My dear fellow reader, I want to thank you so so so so soooooo much for my reviews I got the last time. I hadn't reply to any of you the last time, gomen, but I was sick the whole week and couldn't stay behind the laptop for more than 15 minutes… **

**But I still give you my gratitude for it all. Love ya peeps, I wish I could sent presents and SasuSaku posters to ya all!**

**Yay. **

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'_Jealousy means that I'm great. Don't forget that.' - __**Me **_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_To Be Continued_

_Stay tuned for next time, Same Site, Same Story._


	11. Too Late

**A/N: OMG… OMFG… there… you… I… **

***sigh***

**Any of you can spell W-R-I-T-E-R-S-B-L-O-C-K? Oh crap, never mind, I already did that for you. Apparently, that is my excuse for being FOUR FUCKING MONTHS too late. *sigh* I remember the time when I was still updating every once a week! That went well for ten weeks long until suddenly, I couldn****'****t find any inspiration to write this one. This chapter was difficult to write for me, very difficult, and I know that once you****'****re ready with reading this you****'****ll think: WTF? She had problems with writing this lame ass chapter? Man, I****'****ve been waiting three long agonizing months for only this? What a bitch! **

**Yeah… I know. And I apologize. Really, I am truly, sincerely sorry for being so late, and I promise you that the next chapter won****'****t take as long as this one had. **

**But although this chapter took like almost gazillion years to been updated, -and I hope nobody pulled their own hair out in waiting all this time- there are many treats in here that I hope many of you will like. This is one extra long chapter, in hope that you will forgive me and give me a review anyway despite the fact that I made you guys wait too long. I didn****'****t want to be one of those writers who update, like, once in a decade, but I really couldn****'****t find a word to write for this chapter. So I struggled and fought with my inner-self and everything, when I decided to write behind my laptop ****–****which is almost every day- and I put in my guru of ultimate writing. One of the ****Pirate of the Caribbean ****movies. I swear, those helped me a lot. You should thank Captain Jack Sparrow with his gay-ish, but still waaaay too cute behavior ****–****I absolutely love Johnny Depp- or else this chapter wouldn****'****t have arrived at this story for a couple of more months. **

***Shudders* Just imagine the mental torture of you and me both!**

**Ok, so I don****'****t have nothing more to say, except for: THANK YOU ALL FOR THOSE WHO REVIEWED AND PM****'****ED ME! I FEEL SO ADORED! **

**So here****'****s from me for you an awesomely long chapter of Naruto character goodies. **

**Disclaimer: Thou shall know by now, that I, even in the deepest of dreams and furthest of longing, wanting and craving, the series Naruto, isn****'****t owned by I. Neither that nor the mentioned brands. **

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'_Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.__'_-** William Shakespeare**

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hand_

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He was oblivious to the fact that he was at his mother's party.

Because once he realized what was going on, what she was doing, he didn't hesitate for a moment.

His unoccupied hand, that wasn't holding the champagne glass that was meant for herself, rested slowly on her hip.

His shoulders relaxed, even if he couldn't be more tense.

He didn't need to pull her closer, as she was pressing herself against him of her own.

And he kissed her back.

Hell, he kissed her back.

The feeling of her lips against his own, her soft body against his self, was better than he could ever fanaticize about.

She never kissed like this, and he knew, because he had kissed her once, a long time ago. It was way different then, it was shy, it was slow, it was inexperienced, and now…

Now it seemed like she had trained. Her lips moved precisely on the right time, with the right pressure, and soon, her tongue rolled against his lips. It made him forget about everything and everyone as he held his slight shock within and on his own record; he happily opened his mouth, giving her entrance to invade him.

He didn't want to know how it was that her kiss had changed. The light thought alone that she was training on _other_ men made rage kick in.

While her organ filled his mouth, his hand moved, slowly going from her hip higher to the curve of her waist.

She couldn't have possibly kissed other men so she would become the perfect kisser. No way in hell. That wasn't Sakura, she would never do that.

In the other hand, this wasn't the same Sakura he had known a year ago, he didn't know what she was capable of currently. Seeing her drink alcohol, hearing her talk so confidently, feeling how she kissed him just like that at a party, was evidence enough that this was someone new.

Her scent filled his nose, the vanilla-honey scent that she didn't have last time he was close to her, made him go eager to take in more and more.

She was so soft, she was so different, she was so beautiful, and he couldn't possibly imagine that another man could've had this for a whole year.

Tatiana.

How long has he been with her? Was he the one who taught her to kiss this amazingly? Was it him? Was it that motherfucker who he hates so freaking much?

He did not want to think of it.

Sakura tiptoed; deepen the kiss when pulling him closer by the back of his neck. Both her hands were on him, one through his hair, the other at his shoulder, holding herself against him.

This everything was intoxicating, her tongue, her scent, her touch, her lips, it was like poison, like drugs, and it was beginning to become more arousing over the minute.

He leaned back against her, his hand moving again upwards, to the swell of her breast and he turned around their location of tongues; instead, he crawled between her lips and teeth, tasting her, exploring her, remembering her.

He did _not_ want this to be the last kiss they ever shared. She was his wife, damn it, and he had the very right to kiss whenever he pleases.

Time seemed to be forgotten by him, when a small, -inaudible by any other ears- moan came from the back of her throat.

And that's when he lost it.

He couldn't help himself but to imagine to have her. To be buried deep inside of her, while she was looking as exotic as she was now. -Even better actually; naked.-

He already saw her writhing below him, her emerald orbs looking up at _him_, her mouth moaning out by _him_, her body feeling pleasure because of _him_, and her lips spilling one name and one name alone; _his_.

He would go deep into her, reach spots that make her go scream out, her back would be pressed over and over against the mattress, wall, ground, wherever, as he moved against her.

He had the sudden urge for her to feel him, for them to be against each other, slick and sweaty, fierce and pumping, sucking and kissing, touching and feeling.

He lust grew and grew by the second, his hand moving once more to the small of her back, pulling her impossibly closer while penetrating her mouth. The feel of her tongue against his own thrilled him, more than any woman had ever before.

He didn't care, not one bit. He wanted this woman, he craved for this woman, he longed for this woman and her alone. He did not hide the fact that he was thoroughly enjoying this kiss and simply continued slipping through her mouth and past her slick organ.

Sakura, who had control of all her senses, was at a lost when she felt Sasuke's hand displace from where it safely was at her hip, to the swell of her breast and then to the small of her back pulling her closer.

He was simple too much, too good, too _delicious_.

She thought that she could handle the sensation, for she had kissed Sasuke once upon a time, and went into this with the thought dangling in her mind that it would be like stealing candy from a baby, now that she had changed.

How wrong she was.

Sasuke was kissing her, _truly_ kissing her, kissing her like he had never kissed her before.

She could tell the difference, because even if she wanted to get Sasuke out of her mind for the past year, and in some times even succeeding, his lips, his touch, his eyes, his freaking kiss was something one could not ever forget even if you wished to.

And back then, with compared to now, it didn't feel real, it didn't feel like it was meant.

Unlike this very moment.

He gave all his this time, and it was a lot, much more than any expectations Sakura had ever presumed.

This was a kiss of Uchiha Sasuke, and now, taking him in, she found herself able to understand as to why any woman would always want to cling to him, even if he would ever lack money.

This man knew how to use his tongue and lips for more than talking.

She didn't want to leave this position, she wanted to stay and prayed to any spirit or god out there for time to freeze at this very moment so she could be kept right here, in Sasuke's arms, invaded by his tongue, and locked by his lips.

Her inner self snapped her to it. This made her realize that they were at the party, glued together for some good minutes, surrounded by gawking, wide-eyed gazing people.

She had played enough for now, and indicated to move away from the Uchiha. She sucked on his tongue ever so lightly, making her intentions known that she was stepping away from him.

But even before she could do so, two arms had pulled her hard away from the ebony-haired male.

Karin pulled her away from her boyfriend with a rough hand.

"You little bitch, how dare you touch him with your filthy mouth? Move away from right now!" Karin growled to her, ready to punch the whore in her face.

Sakura slowly turned to red haired female, a smug smirk of amusement clearly on her features. "This is to make a point clear to you, that you," She paused a second, stealing a glance at the onyx eyed male. "Don't know his feelings as much as you claim you do."

The Uchiha looked at her with eyes impossibly darker -smoldering- than usual as it was clouded with a heavy fog of lust and an amount of desire that spelled her name.

"Who do you think you are, you slut?!" Karin raised her voice, just about to set a step towards her.

Sakura merely sighed, a sigh that showed that she didn't bother in listening to her words and she switched back to Sasuke. He was still holding her champagne glass and she softly took it. Thanking him with sugarcoated eyes, she smiled.

And she kept the smile on her face when she turned back to the Sarina and whipped the content of the glass right in Karin's face.

"AAH!" Karin gasped out loud, her face, her hair and her dress wet of the expensive liquid.

The sound of the champagne hitting skin seemed akin to one of a whiplash being lashed against human skin. It sounded painful and cruel.

Kiki already found this going too far, so deciding in interrupting the two before Karin does something stupid. He knew her, and he knows her temper. She was a nasty little devil and will go the end of the time to get whatever it is that's holding her back out from her way.

The lusted gaze of Sasuke vanished as soon as Kiki came into picture and a glare had settled instead. And not so friendly glare either.

Sakura held a smirk on her face of pure victory and amusement, looking Karin right in the eye, who was killing her with the look on her face alone.

The ballroom was silent except for the live band that was still playing in the background. The players half-stared along with the guest, but they must continue playing.

"You damned whor-" Karin almost yelled and was ready to bounce her way to that pink haired witch and slap her across the face, when she was grabbed at the arm by Kiki, holding her on place.

"Stop it, Karin." Kiki said softly to her but stern, she was still at a formal party with many people around them.

"Let me go." She hissed back to him, struggling against his grip. But it was a firm one and he wouldn't loosen it.

The hard look the Tatiana gave her was enough for her to at least stop with struggling, she realized that she can't go and do what she was intending to do to that awful woman.

With sharp and narrowed eyes into slits, she looked her way back to Sakura who was still standing in front of Sasuke -a little too close to Sasuke- with an expression that seemed like she was laughing her out in the inside.

Which she was.

The emerald eyed took a step closer to her, just one step, and it actually didn't make the distance between them a lot smaller, but it was one foot closer to the Sarina nonetheless.

Her voice was talking low and slow, a clear tone of mocking in it, and that pissed Karin more off.

"That'll learn you to not ever doubt me again." It was said almost in a whisper yet it was loud enough for at least Karin, Sasuke and Kiki to hear.

The redhead deepen her glare even more, pressing her red manicured nails into her hands so hard, she was sure she had opened skin.

Then suddenly, Sakura turned directly to Sasuke.

He was slightly taken aback by her sudden movement and her attention to him, but he kept his shock, like always, mentally and never letting it reach his features.

"And you," Her voice had completely changed from the soft and mocking way she was talking in just a second ago, to one that sounded furious and hard. "Do not ever talk about this marriage that was never there in the first place, and speak like I mean anything to you."

To emphasize her words, she shot a glare to him, and swiftly past by him to walk away.

He did not follow her form to see where she went but only looked up to Karin. She was soaking wet and unlike him, she was eying Sakura to where she went with pure hate in her crimson hues.

His gaze moved upward to Kiki, who had a champagne glass in his right hand, and a smirk that was a mix of knowing, mocking, teasing and amusing, on his face.

Sasuke scowled impossibly more, and Kiki in the other hand, smirked wider, lifted the glass up and make a gesture that meant he toasted on him and took a sip of the liquid.

For the same reason that the Tatiana had held Karin for not doing something embarrassing at a ball filled with already curious people, he too kept himself in check for not going and punch Kiki and break his nose on his mother's party.

He clenched his jaw hard, very, very hard and now actually wished that Naruto or somebody else would be there to hold him back just in case.

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura walked away from both the people she despise, and saw her mother's approving smirk, giving her a look that said that she did the right thing.

She took in an unnoticed shaky breath, letting go of all the fears and emotion she held in minutes ago, and made an invisible nod towards her mother.

This was going good so far. Sure, the kiss was unexpected, but the look on Karin and Sasuke's face was priceless! Karin was glaring at her with the intent to kill, while Sasuke wanted to take her right then and there.

The kiss. She must admit that was one hell of a kiss and she lost control. She fell for Sasuke's kiss because it was that amazing, that fabulous, that… breathtakingly delicious, it was better than anything she had ever tasted or experienced. And frankly, she didn't want it!

She did not want to feel so great, she did not want to let it go on forever, she did not want to let her emotions get into her way. She needed to think, and with thinking you keep yourself and everything around you in check. She did not do that when she was kissing Sasuke.

The asshole.

He could still have an effect on her even if she was thinking, even if she cut him out of her life, even if she was determent for him to suffer.

No.

'_No Sakura, he will suffer. He will beg for your forgiveness. You can__'__t let yourself fall for him once again!__'_

Yes, her inner speaking was right. Uchiha Sasuke doesn't have influence on her. Not ever again.

She was interrupted in her thoughts when she felt a warm hand land on her shoulder, making her turn around.

She met face to face with Tatiana Kiki. He was smiling softly at her, a hint of smugness in it, and his mesmerizing eyes crook with amusement.

Sakura stole a glance past his shoulder, seeing that both Sasuke and Karin were gone. She was curious though as where they were, but somehow she didn't want to know shit.

The thought of Sasuke and Karin together alone pissed her off. Trying to maintain the scowl off of her face, she looked back to Kiki.

"You seem flustered, Sakura." His voice went through her. "May I suggest a stroll through the garden for some fresh air?"

The pink haired took a breath, finding his idea quite good. She did need some fresh air, at least to cool down her nerves.

"Yes, lets." She shot him a smile and he, of course, gave her one right back, putting out an arm for her to take.

Eyes followed them when they walked out of the ballroom into the direction of the Grand Garden.

It has been more then a year that she hasn't been in the Grand Garden. There was a time that she was always in this place, when she was living in this very mansion, when she was practically a prisoner in the room Sasuke gave her by Fagaku.

The garden didn't change drastically much, except for all the twinkle lights they put in the flowers, trees and bushes, there was a small fountain in the new set of roses that wasn't there the last time she has been here.

It was quiet in the garden, nobody walked around like they did in the house. She and Kiki were the only one walking here now.

The silence between them was comfortable, and Sakura found that strange even for herself. She wasn't a quiet one to begin with, and to walk with such a handsome man all alone without feeling some weird tension was surprising her.

She looked up into the dark sky, and saw that there was no moon at all, only a sea of stars were brightening the sky.

The place looked peaceful and serene. The far-distant music made a romantic aura fill the garden, and the twinkle lights made the finishing picturesque touch. A soft wind passed the two of them, it had a light scent of ocean water in it and it refreshed her senses.

She didn't notice, but because she felt herself relax for the first time that night, automatically a smile graced her lips.

Someone beside her, on the other hand, did notice.

"You seem calmed down, Sakura. I can imagine it, since you're out of that stifling place with people breathing down your neck. I bet you feel somewhat better."

They stopped walking and Sakura turned towards the tall man. Like always, he couldn't be more right.

"I do. Thank you for bringing me out here."

Kiki was unbelievable; he had been nothing but sweet to her. Even if she kissed another man at the party in front of everyone, including himself.

He wasn't angry, or became disrespectful. Nothing of all that. He stayed his gentleman like self and kept with her even after the charade she had pulled off earlier.

He really was something. Something she liked… very much.

-

-

-

* * *

"I cannot believe her! How dare she pour that champagne all over me? They should throw her in jail for that!" Karin yelled while zipping herself out of her dress.

Sasuke wasn't helping her; instead he was standing in his balcony looking in silence to her and to the twinkle lights that decorated his garden below for his mother's celebration ball.

"That nerve of that woman, seriously! And hear that bitch; '_Oh, Ralph Lauren handpicked it out for me himself._' Psh. She can go fuck herself." Karin kept on whining about Sakura, changing her voice all light and sweetly, trying to sound just like her. "And now suddenly she has money? Just because she's Senju Tsunade's daughter!"

Here's where Sasuke gave his full attention to Karin. His head shot up from looking down, eyes slightly widen for a second before narrowing again.

"Senju Tsunade?" He inquired suspicious. He knew that the woman Sakura came with was her mother; he had overheard that when his own mother was talking to the blonde woman. But he didn't know it was _Senju Tsunade_.

Tsunade wasn't just anybody, and he knew her. By name at least. She is the granddaughter of the previous ruler of half of Japan's industry, and she is now the ruler of said industry and the head of the Senju clan. She's one of the richest -if not is- woman in Japan. A high ranked clan, one that could almost be royal by blood, just the same as the Uchiha clan.

And Sakura was her daughter?

Impossible. He would've heard if the head of the Senju clan had a daughter, wouldn't he? It can't be possible.

But then again, why would they lie? Sakura would never lie about that, and a debutante like Tsunade herself wouldn't go into such a disgrace. Never in her life.

Meaning that if it is indeed true that Sakura is Senju Tsunade's daughter, that conclude she is the heir of the clan. Sakura is the heir of _the_ Senju clan.

"Do you honestly believe that shit? One year ago, that pink haired rat had no parents at all, and suddenly Tsunade is her mother? Yeah right!"

It was weird, he had to admit. But it explained why she came back beautiful and apparently with money and all.

"You better dig into that story. And now I'm going to take a shower to get that dirty person's aura off of me and that freaking champagne. Because of that biatch I have to change from my beautiful dress and-"

Sasuke tuned her out.

He couldn't possibly keep listening to her rambling after what happened between him and Sakura. The thought of them alone could make his blood rush faster through his body.

He couldn't believe that it was the same Sakura who he knew a year ago. He couldn't believe how much she changed. He couldn't believe… how amazing she kissed.

She turned from that ugly little duck into one of the most gorgeous swans. He never would've thought that she ever made him ache for her. Never.

Never did he even hoped to want Sakura.

Never did he even expect her to show at his mother's party. -In a breath-hitching dress no less.-

Never did he needed to see her ever again.

But like they always said; _never say never._

From the moment she stepping into his vision, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. If only he had the will to scoff her off right now. She was at this ball for over an hour and already has she invaded his mind without intending of leaving. Everything happened too fast.

She came in, more beautiful than ever. Apparently rich, the daughter of Senju Tsunade meaning the heiress of the Senju clan. Shocking everybody with her new appearance and more overly, showing up here with no one less than Tatiana Kiki.

That man.

Sasuke wondered now what must have had went through Karin when she saw Tatiana with Sakura of all people. Was she angry? Was she… jealous?

This was unbelievable. Tatiana came here at his house, and sort off held both woman that was his from the very beginning, in the palm of his freaking hands.

Sakura all but melted by his nearness. Karin all but wanted to rip her away from him; hate radiating off of her body like steam.

Sasuke wasn't stupid; the aura that Karin gave off was so intense even he could feel it. It was hate, jealousy and envy.

And even though he didn't want Karin to feel that way for Tatiana Kiki ever again, he can't help but to feel exactly like her.

He would not ever admit. But Uchiha Sasuke was jealous. Somebody like him doesn't ever get jealous of anyone. He got whatever the hell he wanted. Every little thing. Every car, every house, every diamond and every woman.

He was an Uchiha damn it. What they want, they got. Nothing more, nothing less.

And then came Sakura. A woman he didn't even want in the beginning. She was merely there to let him forget about Karin. She was merely there for him to show to everybody that he wasn't effected in the least by Karin running away. And when Sakura left him, he didn't felt any regret whatsoever. He merely didn't care.

Until an hour ago. When she came back. Back into his life, back into his house, back… with another man.

One he loathes more than anyone in this entire world.

Why was she doing this? Why was she here with him? Were they plotting against both him and Karin together?

Sasuke flared his nostrils. He didn't want to think about Tatiana Kiki anymore for tonight. Even if he sees Sakura and Kiki together he will act his stoic self and ignore them. _Acting_ like he didn't give a shit at all. Which was a lie, because God knew he cared like hell.

He will -try- not give a damn about them at all.

"Since you used your champagne for other uses, I'm offering a new one."

That voice. It belonged to…

Sasuke's onyx eyes searched the source of the voice and his hands gripped the rail of his balcony impossibly harder, turning his knuckles from ivory to hot pink, when his speculations were confirmed.

It was that same asshole he was trying to ignore. With the same woman he was trying to forget.

Tatiana and Sakura.

Seeing her in the night sky between all the twinkle lights in his garden made her seem like a mystical creature. Something dreary, because of the red that she was wearing but such an innocent look was blessed on her, even if she was wearing such a sinful color. She was a phenomenon.

Her smile was nothing compared to the light in his garden, it made the whole place brighten, even if it was just a small lift of her lips.

"Thank you, Kiki." Her tone was soft. Unlike how it was the last time she spoke to him earlier tonight.

"_Do not ever talk about this marriage that was never there in the first place, and speak like I mean anything to you_." That was what she sneered to him. And she was wrong, she does mean something to him.

_Now_.

His attention was brought back to them when she took the filled glass that the blond-brown haired man was offering, and their fingers connected. And instead of her or him pulling away from each other, they stayed like that.

They were touching each other again. They were looking in each other's eyes -deeply- again. She was smiling to him and he was smirking back to her, again.

Sasuke's keen eyes could catch the slightly movement of Kiki's calloused fingers over and on Sakura's small ones. He was caressing her digits lightly on the glass they both were still holding. Connected by one stupid glass.

They weren't saying anything. They were hardly moving.

And all what Sasuke did was glaring at them, having the desire to break this rail with sheer force and was screaming in his mind for Sakura to step away from him. To move, to do something.

And move she did alright.

A step closer she took to him, her neck arching slightly more because of the height he had, and his smirk grew.

It didn't need a fool to know what she meant with that step.

Kiki pulled the glass closer to him, effectively pulling Sakura also to him, and within the same second, her body was flush against his chest and their lips were connected.

Sakura immediately reacted, kissing him as feverishly as he was kissing her. His experienced tongue didn't even wait 10 seconds before they seductively tapped against her lips. She, of course, let him enter.

Her arms went around his neck, playing with the soft hair that grew at the back of it and forcing him to deepen the kiss. He happily complied. He tasted her and liked the sweetness of her as much as she liked of his.

Kiki dropped the champagne, the glass not breaking for it fell into the soft grass but the content spilled every direction. Both of his hands were free now and they found their way on her body, on her hips, over her waist, on the small of her back, caressing her arms, cupping her cheek and letting his hands wander through her long pink hair.

Sakura was really kissing Kiki. On her own free will. This wasn't a kiss to pester another woman, this wasn't a kiss to torture a man, this was a kiss… of liking someone.

He was so good. His lips were so soft, his kisses were so perfect, his tongue was moving so precisely amazing, she wondered if she ever want to let it stop.

His hands pushed her body harder to him, as if he wanted her to crawl right in his skin, being in one forever.

Even if she could say that the man she had on her lips earlier today was also just as excellent in kissing like Kiki, this was somehow… different.

She couldn't tell which one was better. It was impossible to say. But what she did know was that in her aspect, this kiss made her feel better than the previous one.

He was making her breath hitch in her chest, which by the way, felt like they needed air. But she refused to pull away from his warm lips. She ignored her burning need for oxygen because right now she didn't want to remove herself from this man.

Unaware to them, there was somebody who was beyond fuming right now.

He bit the inside of his cheek so hard, he tasted the copper disgusting taste of blood. He thought he had never glared at anybody so hard ever in his life, because it made his face hurt. He had never felt such pure rage before. He saw red in front of his eyes. He was sure that the color was also visible in his orbs. His hands turned blue, becoming numb from the pressure of the grip on his balcony rails, that increased at seeing this.

Sakura, his fucking wife Sakura, was kissing a man he could literally kill right now. And he was not making a joke. If it wasn't for the balcony, and that he made himself glued against the rail, and biting his cheek for not yelling, he would've gone and kill Tatiana Kiki.

In his own garden, the garden he owns, the garden he paid for to decorate it so beautifully, were these two people he wished he would never see again, kissing each other.

The anger he felt was something no other human could understand. Each second that passed made his breath become more raged and his blood boiling more and his body temperature go unnaturally high.

He would sell his soul right now for them to break apart and each thrown on the opposite side of the world.

They were enjoying it. You could see it from their body expression. You could tell it from the frantic way to were trying to get more and more closer to each other than they were already were. Their lips were locked and it was evidently clear that their tongues were playing hard together.

His hands were on places it should've been forbidden.

Then suddenly, Sakura pulled away.

"Kiki." His name was said in a half moan, half sigh. It was a whisper and Sasuke hated it. It should've been his name that must be said like that. His alone.

Her eyes were still closed, but Tatiana cracked his beautiful ones open to memorize her face. Her plum lips, that was very lightly swollen, were slightly open. Taking in short breaths that he knew she needed. Also he was panting, but he didn't want to cut off their mind-blowing kiss for something as stupid as air.

This woman before him was amazing. Her skin was gleaming like a pearl by the twinkle lights. Her neck was way too innocent pale if somebody asked him.

Who would've been out of their right mind to ever slight this woman?

Well… we're not going to drop some names…

"I-"

Sakura's panting voice was cut off by Kiki's whispering one. Under his tone lay heavy lust that made him talk in a husky-like way. Because of his already deep voice, it couldn't be more Aphrodisiac.

"Ssh. If there's anything I don't want is for either of us to break this moment."

"Kiki, I don't want to stay here anymore. Bring me home." She whispered back to him. Not once opening her eyes.

It was barely audible for Sasuke but if all his senses weren't focused on them, he would've missed it.

The tall man before the gorgeous woman in red rested his forehead against hers. His right hand coming up to touch her cheek, tracing her cheekbone, over her jaw and her bottom lip.

"Of course." Was his husky reply back. The volume of his speaking wasn't much different than hers.

They stayed in that lovers position at least a quiet minute more, listening to the soft music that came from inside and the sounds of the nocturnal insects in the bushes and trees.

Sasuke only wished he could have a gun or something sharp to take out Kiki right then and there. He should stay away from her.

Kiki pulled back from her, taking her hand in his own and leaded her out of the garden back into the house. Sasuke followed with glowing eyes until it was unable for him to see them.

The bloody bastard. The son of a bitch. The motherfucker. The asshole.

He cannot believe that he just saw Sakura kiss Kiki, just after she had kissed him. He was so angry he wanted to wring Kiki's neck, pummel him into the next century, burn him alive while he cut out his tongue and feed it to some white-sharks.

And then it's her turn. He didn't know what he exactly wanted to do to her. That woman knew exactly who she was dealing with, and she was killing him from the inside with her actions. He had never felt hate and desire for one woman ever before or ever thought that he ever will.

Of course, it was women who needed to desire after an Uchiha, not the other way around.

Uchiha Sakura. One of a kind.

-

-

-

* * *

Her mother had already set for home. Leaving the ball 10 minutes earlier than she did.

She was brought home by Kiki in his own limousine. The ride from Sasuke's mansion to the villa wasn't long. And it was taking in silence.

They sat closely together. He held one of her hands in his own, exploring her fingers, her manicured nails and her palm. He quietly remarked that she had beautiful hands, added by that everything about her was beautiful so what else should he expect?

A light blush caressed her cheek. Would've been somebody else, nobody important in particular she would've smiled without blushing. But somehow, because it was said by this handsome man, she felt more than flattered, and couldn't prevent it from coloring her skin.

He chuckled at seeing her, placing a small kiss in the base of her neck. A new sensation went through her. Nobody had ever kissed her there before. It made her feel hot. Even if his lips were less than a second there, she felt a tingle in her that warmed her till the tip of her toes. She silently wished for him to do it again.

But Kiki didn't went further than that. What he stated to Karin was true. He was going to take things slowly now. Not going to over rush anything. Besides he got the impression that Sakura would never hasten to do things like that.

They drove onto their grounds, stopping right in front of the orange/yellow villa that didn't look near that color in the night at all.

Kiki stepped out first, and being the gentleman he was, he opened the door for the pink haired lady and held a hand for her to take.

The two walked on the stairs to the honey colored double doors.

"I hope you had a splendid evening, Sakura." Kiki broke the comfortable silence once they stood in front of the door.

"I can assure you, I did."

"I hope this wasn't our last meeting. In fact, I hope this there will be many. Soon." He gave her an enchanting smirk.

Sakura looked up to him. Her emerald eyes looking more silver green than emerald in the night. "I hope so, too."

Kiki took once again her hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you today, Miss Senju." He kissed the top of her knuckles, then made his move back to the limo.

Sakura squeezed his hand back, making him turn back to her. The look in her orbs said it alone, she didn't want this to end just yet.

But Kiki was still determent to go baby steps. An attractive smirk played on his lips when he walked entirely back to her. His thumb and index fingers found her chin and he raised it.

He planted a light, chaste lingering kiss on her lips, one that was so sweet that could be only found in fairytale books. No tongue was involved. No hard pressing to each other came into the matter. It was only that.

"Goodnight." He whispered against her then without touching her any further he walked back to his limo.

Sakura felt her heart miss a beat and before she knew it, the door had opened and she was pulled inside.

"OH MY GOD! THAT WAS SO HOT!" Ino practically screamed in her ear as she hugged her tightly. "That was one of the most sweetest things I've ever seen! Why doesn't Shikamaru do such things? He's such a lame lazy bum!" Ino complained but with a wide grin on her face.

Tenten, Miguelina, Shizune and Tsunade stood behind the platinum blond.

"How long have you all been standing here?" Sakura crooked a perfect eyebrow.

"Long enough to see that cool thing you and Tatiana Kiki pulled." Tenten replied, sharing the same stretched smile Ino had. In fact all five of the woman before her had the same cheesy grin on their faces.

"I assume you had a splendid evening." Tsunade remarked, quoting Kiki.

This just proves that they weren't only spying on them but also eavesdropping. Che, no privacy at all.

"We heard what yuu did at Uchiwa's party. Yuu kissed Sasuke?" Miguelina questioned, the joyful tone she always had -except that afternoon- in her voice.

Sakura immediately shifted her eyes to her mother, who was, of course, the only one who could've told them about it. "Yes."

Tenten and Ino practically bombard her with questions.

"How was it?"

"Was it good?"

"Did you guys used tongues?"

"Was he eager for more?"

"Did you guys make out long?"

"Were his lips soft?"

"How did he smell?"

"What was he wearing?"

Sakura sweat dropped at hearing the last questions that were shot her way. Ino and Tenten combined together was definitely not a good thing. "Wait," The emerald eyed turned to the Yamanaka. "Why weren't you at the party? You could've come with Shikamaru. He was also there."

Ino shrugged indifferently. "And miss this? Yeah right. There will be more parties I can attend with him. Besides, he will find my presence troublesome anyway. And not only that, they don't know I came to see you. Not even Shikamaru. So if I were there I needed to act surprise and all that. I'm not really in the mood to do so, I will play that way when Shikamaru informs me about it tonight."

Sakura nodded.

"Speaking of which, I must be going. See you tomorrow 'kay? Bye everyone!" With a simple wave and a grin she left the villa. Leaving Sakura in the hands of the other four females.

Nobody said anything in the entrance hall. They were all gazing at each other with a smug smirk on their faces.

"Uchiha Sasuke?" Tsunade asked quietly.

Flashes of Sasuke's glaring face, his clenched jaw, his lips and his touches went through her head.

"Exactly according to plan. My revenge… his suffering has begun."

-

-

-

* * *

The next day at the Senju villa was loud; full with screaming and squeals, and gleeful jumping of females. Two females in particularly who goes by the names: Yamanaka Ino and Hinosyuri Tenten.

"You didn't freaking answer the question last night, Sakura!" Ino flipped. "How was it?"

The pink haired, who was still in her bed, being woken up -rudely, mind you- by a banshee like screeching voice, screaming in her sensitive ears; 'Wakey, wakey sleepy-head!'

Sakura was still half asleep, even if it was something at 1 p.m. But hey, it became late last night, Kiki brought her home 2 in the morning and it was a tiresome day.

If that wasn't enough, Ino wouldn't let her sleep out for the day either.

But noooooo, Ino couldn't let her curiosity wait till it was a little later, at least so she wouldn't be so tired as she was now.

Ino stood in her bedroom, Sakura lying in her soft, comfy bed, looking disorientated, and sleepy. Her pink hair was flying in all sorts direction and light purple bags were below her eyes.

And if it couldn't get any more worse, then it's Tenten adding to Ino's obnoxiousness. Not as much as the blond of course, but she came pretty close.

They both were grinning and were dying to know what went down last night at the Uchiha party, specifically between her, Sasuke and Kiki. And it seemed like they couldn't stand still for one moment.

Sakura lifted her upper half body from the warm and inviting bed, and groggily looked at the two women.

"Well?" The two asked her at the same time, ready for some answers.

"You came to wake me up from my beauty sleep just so you guys can have something to gossip?" Sakura said irritated, her throat still dry.

"Duh!" Ino and Tenten answered.

Sakura shot them a glare, but swung herself out of her warm bed. "Fine, but at breakfast."

"You mean lunch?" The brunette haired female fixed.

Sakura flared her nose while walking towards the bathroom. "What. Ever."

-

-

-

* * *

"YOU'RE TOTALLY LYING!" Ino screamed. "You kissed Sasuke in front of Kiki? You little whore!" Ino called out with a smile. "I hope that Kiki forgives you!"

"Well he must have because he kissed me last night."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that. So basically, you kissed Kiki _and_ Sasuke all on one night." Ino beamed. "That is so cool."

"Yeah, well, I didn't do it for my pleasure, I did it to-"

"To prove Karin wrong. Uhu, we heard ya." Tenten interrupted her, but her tone was completely skeptical. "Admit it, you liked it. You didn't do it to prove Karin wrong at all. There are so many ways to get back at something."

"Puh-lease, Tenten. I _hate_ that arrogant Uchiha. He needs to suffer. And why would I kiss him for pleasure, if I want him to beg me for my forgiveness. No. In fact, not only did I just owned Karin's ass, I tortured Sasuke too." Sakura's face held smugness, and she was proud what she had done last night.

"Oh yeah? How so?" Ino inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"He totally craved for me yesterday. He wanted me, desired me. And I will not ever go back to him. Let him have Karin, and imagine her to be me." Sakura snickered evilly.

"Heh, and later you came home with the one gorgeous man you do felt pleasure in kissing?" Tenten snickered just with her.

Sakura's face soften then, her eyes looking down at her now empty plate, while she said nothing.

A moment of silence past by and Sakura had no clue. Her mind drifted off to Tatiana Kiki.

He was so sweet, so wonderful. How did Karin ever leave him? Then again, Karin still had feelings for Uchiha Sasuke.

In the back of the girl's head, a little voice was asking herself if she was able to choose between Kiki and Sasuke…

Ino and Tenten switched glances when it took a little bit too long to get a sound from Sakura after Kiki's name was dropped.

"So…" Ino broke the pregnant silence. "How are you and Kiki now?"

Sakura looked up, shaking her head lightly as if wanting to shrug some thought away and took a small nervous smile. "I don't know… I mean, he did say he wanted to see me again after yesterday."

"That is so awesome, I can see it now, your beautifully emerald, slash, amber eyed children with light smooth hair and perfect teeth."

Sakura and Tenten arched a brow at Ino for the crazy things she said. "Ino, that didn't make any sense at all."

"So what? Wouldn't it be amazing if Sasuke wished he could've been with you for the rest of your life while you live happily ever after with one of the handsomest man in Miami?"

"Well, yeah, but… hey, I thought you found Sasuke the handsomest man in Miami?"

"No, I find Sasuke one of the handsomest man in entire Florida. Kiki may be hot, but I don't think he will ever surpass Sasuke in looks. Sure he's beautiful, with his hair, and his eyes and I bet a more than yummy body below those clothes, he still can't beat Sasuke." Ino sighed heavenly and looked up to the sky, as if thanking God for He had created such a breathtaking creature. "Sasuke has something, that no other has." She quickly added.

"Ne, I thought you were dating Nara Shikamaru… isn't he supposed to be the hottest man in your life?" Tenten laughed a little.

"What? That lazy ass? Sure, he's beautiful or else I wouldn't be dating him, duh, but come on… Sasuke is simply… exquisitely handsome. He's like diamond, you want to stare at him all day." The Yamanaka stated in awe.

"Ok, would you please stop talking about Uchiha Sasuke?" Sakura sounded clearly annoyed. "I really am not interested anymore to hear how gorgeous everybody thinks he is."

"What are you going to do if Kiki makes contact with you again?"

"I don't know. Act normal I suppose." Sakura shrugged indifferently. Although, if Ino and Tenten could see her insides, they would be ashamed of her.

She really, really, really couldn't wait until Kiki was going to contact her again. She was so thrilled.

-

-

-

* * *

-

**-7 days Later - **

**-**

**

* * *

  
**

It hadn't even been a week and Tenten came rushing into her bedroom while Miguelina was fixing her nails.

The brunette panted and gasped and had sweat on her brow like she had just run a marathon. "Sakura," She began, still gasping for air, her knees buckled and her hands resting on them. "You have… you have to come with me." Her tone was giddy and full with childish glee and the pink haired had no idea why in God's name Tenten was making such a fuss for.

Sakura merely raised an eyebrow calmly at the clearly over excited woman. "Huh, why?"

"Why? Why, you ask me? Come on Sakura, you have to be kidding me!" Tenten jumped up and down, and Sakura wondered where she was still getting her energy from, as it looked like the other woman before her had came running from the other side of the estate.

"And why should I be kidding you?" Sakura's voice still lacked curiosity and interest.

"Have you already forgotten about your handsome Prince Charming?"

It was with that, that Sakura bolted up with a speed that Road Runner would've been jealous about. Miguelina cursed a word in Spanish as Sakura suddenly moved and was threatening to ruin her nails she was working so hard on.

"Oh my God!" The image of her was mirroring that one of Tenten. "No way, no freaking way! What is it?"

"How the hell should I know?" Tenten answered back, as if it was plain obvious. While it was her that came sprinting into her room, hinting that she contained some sort of information.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'? You-"

"He's on the phone right now!" Tenten cut her short.

"What?!" Sakura threw her a glare that said; 'why didn't you tell me that before?' She was gone within the next second towards the first telephone she could reach. And that was the one at the end of the hall.

Tenten followed her suit, this gossip was too hot to let it cool down, and she needed to know what they were talking about.

Sakura ran and was intending to make a nice baseball-ish slide towards the phone when she was nearly at the end of the hall. She could see the damn thing, it was that old twentieth century type of phone where you had to put your fingers through the wheel to dial the numbers, it was broken-white of color with golden lines accented the whole machine, making it seem new –and expensive- albeit the model was an ancient thing, it was placed on a single honey-colored side table, and it seemed like it was more for show in a museum.

She was just about to slide and stop right in front of the telephone, but because of the extreme –unknown- slippery of the hall, she slide right passed the needed place she wanted to stop and had to drop herself on her ass in order for her not to go any further than she already had.

Sakura heard Tenten laugh somewhere in the middle of the hall when she witnessed her attempt to make the perfect baseball-slide.

She growled and got up to her feet, sending Tenten –or at least tried to, because the said woman wasn't even looking her way because of her laughter- a nasty glare. Sakura flared her nostrils, brushed the invisible dust off of her knees –and backside- and walked in the left-over of her dignity towards the phone.

"Which line?" She sneered at Tenten, who was still laughing, now flat on the ground and tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Line… _hahahahaha_… line 2… _hahahahaha_…" And she continued to laugh.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched, and told herself to stay calm and not turn to pummel Tenten. She breathed in… and then back out, ordering herself not to sound angry –or gave away that she was going to kill some bitches- on the phone.

She lifted up the horn and put her index finger through the tiny whole of the wheel and went with it all the way to the left until it was unable to go any further. She was still surprised though that they could make phones like this modern.

"Hello?" She said calmly, not a single trace of irritation or anger –or the intent of killing some bitches- in her voice.

"_I can feel flattered by only hearing the sound of your voice_." He responded. She could hear the slick smirk in his tone. Although it didn't stop her from getting tingles in her belly from his very own voice.

"What a delightful surprise," Sakura made her voice get a shy giggle in it. "What gives me the honor of you calling directly at my home, Mr. Tatiana? "

'_And how the hell did you get my number?'_ Was the silent question behind that.

Kiki chuckled lightly through the phone. "_Another meeting, perhaps?_"

"A date?" Sakura blurted out. She was meant to say it mentally and while quickly thinking of another line to say. But it was too late.

"_If you want to give it a name per say._ _I enjoyed your company very much last time, Sakura. Of course there were particular moments in the evening that doesn't seem to get out of my mind, especially at the end of the evening._"

"The kiss…" Tenten answered beside her. It was only now that Sakura noticed that Tenten had her head pressed at the other side of the phone where it wasn't located at her own ear.

She came to stand there from the moment she heard Sakura say 'hello' and because she was just so interested –can't seem to stop with gossiping- she came and listened with the conversation too. No way that she allowed Sakura privacy in this particular area. Boys will be boys and all your experience with something as such, must be shared with your friends. At least, that's what her and Ino's motto were.

Sakura didn't waver to push her away from the phone and herself. What if Kiki heard that? Oh how embarrassing!

She swallowed in order to keep away, once again, the anger –and the intent to kill some bitches- from her tone.

"Yes, I enjoyed that too. It was…" She trailed away, not sure which word to use.

There wasn't even a pause before Kiki had finished for her. "_Magical_."

Sakura was amazed at how… right he was. Except for some people she had met earlier and her most disgusting action that night, she liked it. She liked the ending. She liked the kiss. She liked… him.

"_Anyway, I was curious if you were interested in another date."_

"Calling it at its rightful name now?" Sakura silently snickered.

"_It was you who started it. Or let's just say corrected me."_ She could hear the silent snicker back.

"And what is it that I need to be interested about?"

"_A day at the beach_."

"A date at the beach?" Sakura blinked.

"_Yes. As I said, you don't have to call it necessarily a date. See it as you accidentally going to the same beach on the same day at the same hour while I accidentally picked you up from your home and you decided that you would accompany me for the rest of the day._"

"Hmm," Sakura sounded through the phone. Frankly, she was on the brick of exploding of jolly happiness that she could see Kiki again after only a week. But of course not sounding too desperate, -which she wasn't- she played hard to get. "I should check if I don't have any other plans-"

"_Cancel them. Besides, I haven't even said to you which day yet_." He sounded smugly, self-pleased and smart-ass-ish.

_'Damn…'_ Sakura cursed herself. _'Should've thought about that.'_

But just as she was to stutter and make herself seem like a even bigger complete idiot, Kiki resumed. "_What about tomorrow?_"

Sakura swallowed back her words and regained her composure. "I would like to refresh again in the sea. It's been a long time since I have gone to the beach, so yeah, I liked to."

"_Excellent._" His voice seemed much more relaxed now, if she hadn't paid attention then she wouldn't even had noticed it. "_Then it's a date. Or, let we just say, a planned accident_."

Tenten was leaning casually against the opposite wall of the hall with a smirk of a life time on her face as she watched Sakura right in front of her.

From hearing this side of the conversation was enough to conclude that Mr. Tatiana Kiki merely called for another date. Oh, Ino is definitely missing this.

The words 'see you tomorrow' and 'goodbye' caught Tenten's attention as she saw Sakura put the phone back on its receiver.

Her back was still faced to the brunette, and she didn't make an indication of turning to her. She didn't make a sound or moved a muscle. It was like the pink haired woman was just frozen there on the spot.

Tenten also did not want to say anything to her. They both knew that she was there against the wall for a reason and they both knew that she was waiting.

Sakura sighed. But it wasn't any normal day-to-day 'oh-gosh-I'm-so-tired-of-this-sigh'. It was a heavenly sigh, a 'oh-god-I'm-so-in-love-sigh'. It was dragged slowly out of her mouth and the only thing her posture was missing was her hands clutching each other at her heart, and her face in a wicked sick puppy-love look with her eyes turned up at the sky as if she saw her Prince Charming coming right through the ceiling.

Tenten's smirk widen, if was possible, and she kept quiet, still waiting for Sakura to turn. Or at least speak.

"At my funeral," Sakura began, the first three words in at least 5 whole minutes of silence, shocked Tenten somewhat. "I want to be buried in a bed full of roses…"

_………………………………… okaaaay…_

"And I want to let you know from now on…" She continued. "That the cause of my death is Tatiana Kiki, and I'll die at one p.m sharp tomorrow," She turned to Tenten now, finally, and with the biggest grin she had ever seen on Sakura ever before.

"Becausehe'stakingmeonadatetomorrowtothebeachcanyoubelieveitAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Sakura rapped the last line out with a scream of unbelievable hyper behind it and threw herself on the chocolate colored eyed woman before her.

The air was knocked out of the Hinosyuri's body as she caught Sakura's full weight on her. The extremely happy woman hugged her and squealed like a schoolgirl in her arms.

"That's great Sakura! You're going on a date with him tomorrow? At the beach? He just want to see you half naked." Tenten smiled, making a joke. But Sakura was too happy to even hear her. She was going on a date with Kiki tomorrow.

He was just so lovely. Everything is going to be perfect!

-

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* * *

-

**- The next day –**

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* * *

The BMW Convertible slowed down in front of the golden fence. He didn't have to wait even five seconds and the fence slowly opened as soon as the camera spotted which car it was and to who it belonged to.

Driving in a slow pace to the villa, the driver smirked and held his steering-wheel in a relaxed manner.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! He's here!" Ino squealed inside of the mansion in Sakura's huge room. "You ready?"

Sakura nodded. A huge grin plastered on her face. It wouldn't come off from the moment she woke up today because she just knew, a gut feeling, that it will be a wonderful day. A beautiful day, a splendid day even. Really, there was nothing that could ruin this for her.

"Ok, you got your totally cute bikini on, your awesomely hand-picked beach-shorts on, your lovely hair perfect, and an extra towel and shirt. Yep, you're ready and set to go!" Ino exclaimed happily.

There was a knock on the door and all the three girls inside knew who it was; probably one of the butlers coming to say that the expected visitor has arrived.

"Come on Sakura, let's go. I totally wanna see the look on his face when he sets his eyes on you." Tenten stood to walk to the door, at least to make sure that the butler wouldn't stand there for nothing.

"Wait, wait! I can't run down there right now! I'll seem like a total child who has never had a simple date before!"

Sakura had been dating. Ok, she didn't date exactly but she has gone to some dates last year with beautiful Italian or cute Japanese guys or even males from Switzerland. But none of them was something serious. She just couldn't… it was just never more than 3 dates… she just didn't want… yeah.

"I'll be fashionably late." She told them, taking a breath to control back all the hyperactive senses and at least tried to shrink the ear-to-ear creepy grin a teensy tiny bit.

"Well, you got one hell of a self control there, girl." Ino laughed. "If I were you I would jump him at the very first sight of him. He's just so damn fine, it is nearly impossible _not_ to attack him."

"As much as Ino's sentence was perverted and sluttish," Tenten shot her a look that said; 'You have a boyfriend!' "I kinda agree. Tatiana Kiki is amazingly fine!"

"Yeah I know you _have_ to agree, Tenten. My sense of ethics are just that great! I mean, Shikamaru is maybe a lazy ass for the eye but really, you should see him in bed! He has a stamina of a-"

"Too much information!" Both Sakura and Tenten yelled unison, holding up both of their palms in the air as a stop sign.

"Ah, you're just jealous and slightly sad because you don't have guys and don't have steamy stories to compare mine with. Really, you," Ino pointed at Sakura. "You should absolutely and finally do Kiki. And you," She switched over to Tenten. "We need to get ya a boy, mate!"

"I am not going to sleep with Kiki!" Sakura said, and at the same time Tenten said; "I do not need a boy!"

Ino grinned mischievously, and looked at them through knowing eyes. "Oh yeah, you are totally crazy if you don't get him in your pants, Sakura. And you… everybody can see that you need sexual relief Tenten. Then at least that constant tenseness in your shoulders –and probably the rest of your body- will disappear."

Tenten turned into an unattractive tomato color and began to blink rapidly. "O-oh l-look at that! Sa-Sakura, you're letting Kiki wait too long!" Tenten stuttered in embarrassment, while opening the door.

Her distraction did help though, Sakura sprung up and grabbed her little bag that contained her extra towel and shirt and walked out of her bedroom. Ino right behind her. But of course, the Yamanaka shot the brunette a know-it-all look with a one sided smirk, just to tease her.

Hinosyuri Tenten narrowed her eyes in anger, but it still didn't help from letting her recently fading blush, come back at full force. She silently 'humphed' and followed the blonde while glaring daggers at her back.

Sakura couldn't keep her smile to herself, even from the top of the stairs she got an energy boost. As soon as she could see his straight long figure standing at the bottom of the stairs, she had hold herself from jumping off the staircase itself to greet him.

He was talking to Jeeves, their butler, and he didn't see her coming for he was standing with his back facing her. She took a moment to check him out. He was definitely tall, undeniable tall, just as tall as… yeah. He stood absolutely straight, his spine like a pole and his chin didn't lower for a minute. He knew who he was, and what people –especially women- thought about him. He held confidence, –or was it arrogance?- he held pride, -or was it smugness?- and he was an example for every man. –or was he vain?- His hair was a desirable golden brown, thick locks framing his aristocratic features and they seemed too smooth and silky to be real.

Everything about him seemed too good to be real.

She smiled at that fact and just as so Jeeves' eyes shifted from the tall man before him to the young lady that was now three steps away to be at the bottom of the stairs.

Kiki noted how his companion's gaze lifted from himself to somebody beside his shoulder and turned to see at who. Almost instantly a smile that could melt any snow and ice was shot to Sakura.

"Good afternoon, Miss. Senju." His deep voice echoed through the hall. "You haven't even the slightest clue at the pleasure I get at seeing you once again."

Again, Sakura bit down the creepy ear-to-ear grin that was pushing its way to her face, and she went for a shy smile. "Thank you, Kiki. It's more than lovely to see you again, too."

There was a low snicker behind her, and this time she held herself from letting one of her eyebrows twitch –or the remaining feeling from killing some bitches- like when he had called, when she heard the craving-for-attention sound come out of one of those throats.

She cleared her own one and made a smile appear on her face that could fool everybody, instead of showing how annoyed she really was. "You remember Yamanaka Ino and Hinosyuri Tenten, right?"

Kiki, who hadn't even looked up from anywhere but her, finally shifted his twinkling gaze and seemed to notice only now that the two were there. "Of course, without those two I hadn't had the luck nor the pleasure in ever meeting you. They personally visited me at my house to inquire for my help." He send them a smirk, one to die for. And a part of Ino did die, as she stood there salivating over the gorgeous man that seemed too freaking good to be true.

Tenten however, was inwardly drooling over the man herself, but did had some sort of self control and kept the gawking, idiotic look from her face. She wanted to notch Ino at her ribs for keeping it cool, if Kiki wasn't directly staring at them.

"How do you two do?" The Tatiana asked calmly, purposely ignoring Ino's awed façade and the obvious hinting in Tenten's features that she was irritated with the blonde's behavior, albeit trying to hide it.

"I am perfectly fine, great even Mr. Tatiana. I couldn't be much better." Ino told him with a grin that could outstretched the Great Canyon, although a tad dreamily.

_'I bet.'_ Was Kiki's smugly, cocky and arrogant silent reply in his head. As soon after that, he automatically looked over at the brown-haired female besides the Yamanaka.

"I'm good." It was short and to the point. He liked it, at least with her he couldn't see the direct wonton need of attacking him right now or undressing him with her eyes like some companion of hers were doing. But, indifferently as she may seem, she was still a full blooded female –as much as he assume- and he was sure that even she was somehow attracted to him.

_Like any other out there. _

His smirk grew and added a "Perfect," to closure their very short small talk. "But if you two ladies don't mind," He absently continued. "I will be stealing Miss Senju here for a while."

To make his already known intention clear, he lightly put his arm around her shoulder. It was as if he wasn't touching her at all, and it seemed more like a I'm-on-a-friendly-terms-with-you kind of gesture than a I'm-interested-to-be-more-than-merely-friends-with-you' one.

He gave her a very, but very, gently squeeze in her shoulder where his hand rested and gave her a small nudge into the direction of the door with that. Enough to send her the point that he wanted to leave, but not making her misunderstand that he was desperately to leave from the two other women, or any other company for that matter.

And she seemed to comprehend the signal as she quickly casted the two friends of hers a glance and said; "Well, I will be going. Speak to you guys later, ok?"

"Yeah, talk to you later!" The two left-behinders said in unison and Tenten gave a short nod while Ino waved and mouthed 'I'll definitely call you'.

Kiki, as the gentleman she knew him to be, opened the front door for her and walked a bit behind her once she walked down the steps of her villa. She saw the BMW Convertible she knew that wasn't in any of her property and casually walked to it. He opened the door once again and she sat down in the all leather and comfy seat.

It smelled like him in the car. It was masculine and raw and rough yet gentle and something very fitting for him. He entered and shot her a smile before starting the car.

She never understood why men liked cars that much, or the fact that the sound of a running car could be compared to a purr of a cat. It was just a engine that runs on fuel and somehow gives a sound. And it better give a sound or else there something very wrong with your car.

But still, men seemed to be obsessed with cars as much as they are obsessed with women. Yet she couldn't find the connection between the two, women were beautiful and nice. And she definitely understand that women can give men intense pleasure… but why a car? Except for the fact that it could look nice, why say that it purrs like a kitten, and could give a sound that are like orgasms for men's ears? Frankly, she couldn't quite tell the one engine sound from the other.

Well, excluding the old, cripple cars ones grandfather would ride.

"Did you have a specific beach in mind?" She asked him, not knowing where exactly he was going to take her today. That, and she wanted to break the slight silence in the oh-so beautiful car.

His exquisite eyes –that still could take her breath away by their beauty- flashed from the road to her. "Well actually…"

-

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* * *

"Where are you going?" Karin rolled from the left side on the unmade bed to the right. Crimson eyes following the tall figure that was walking back and forth.

"I need to get my head clear. Besides, it have been a while." He answered shortly without glancing at her.

"Can you need some company, baby?"

He knew that she was batting her eyes and creating a pout. Persuading him for letting her come with him.

Onyx, emotionless, orbs lifted this time. "Do you even know where I am going?"

"Of course," Karin giggled, rolling on her back now and stretched her arms far above her head. The only thing that was covering her body was the white blanket, that lay on her in such a fashion as if it was purposely done that way. It fell perfectly on her breast, from there on hiding any flesh till in between her thighs. The rest was visible to each and every eye.

"You go where you always go when you want to get your head clear." She stated like it was obvious. Which it was, it was kind of his own unconsciously routine.

Sasuke didn't say anything but he did continue with what he was doing.

"I know for sure that you want some company. Besides, with whatever the hell going through that marvelous mind of yours must be tiring. I bet you need, no, _want_ some… relief." Karin hinted, smiling to him while he wasn't paying attention to her in the least.

Although Sasuke wasn't showing that he was listening, he did hear every word of it. He vaguely asked himself if Karin doesn't ever get tired of sex. She had the mentality, like Shikamaru once said, of a man.

"Besides, I haven't been there for ages anyway."

-

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* * *

Sakura wanted to jump in childish joy for seeing the ocean again, it has been… a month or two that she had returned to Miami since over a year, and even so she hadn't go to it for decades. Or so it feels.

She had been to the sea when she was in Japan in the last year, only, of course, no sea was the same. Although many do claim that. Japan's ocean was delicious in the summer, but she would be lying if she said that she hadn't missed the Atlantic ocean at Miami once every while and then.

She couldn't wait to actually feel the cold water on her now hot skin, -thank you very much, burning sun in the sky- and wanted to run to the sea with her shorts and halter-top still on.

"You want to go for a ice cream?" Kiki thoughtfully whispered in her ear.

She twirled around. She didn't really feel for ice cream and she couldn't wait to finally jump in the sea, but she wouldn't ever refuse free ice cream. And she would definitely never refuse when a totally good looking man would whisper it so hotly in her ear like he did just now. So she nodded and she took the arm Kiki was holding out for her.

The way to the cute little stand where a single man was selling cold drinks, some snacks and ice cream was some time walking, but Sakura didn't really care. She and Kiki talked peacefully about everything that comes to mind. His history, their friends, their hobbies, things like that. Kiki made her laugh every minute or so, whether it was about something he was remembering or just an occasional comment, it didn't matter.

Sea birds squealed in the sky and on the beach, skaters moved around, dog walkers and their dogs walked bare foot through the sand, little children were making castles, some boys were throwing Frisbees around and young couples roamed the place. It wasn't all that cramped up with different kinds of people like she excepted, it was, after all, a sunny Saturday and there was a perfect breeze going on in the air. It was comfy and she liked it.

"What flavor do you want?" Kiki asked her as they were nearing the little stand but weren't in actual earshot for the man to hear them.

"Hmm…" Sakura thought, putting her free hand -the one that wasn't linked into Kiki's arm- against her chin and started to think out loud. "I was doubting if I should choose strawberry or pistachio, but then again lime or vanilla is perfect for this day. But on the other hand I haven't eaten something made of chocolate in ages, so… uuhm… yeah. I have no clue at all."

Kiki chuckled beside her. "Do all women think about what kind of flavor of ice cream they want for at least five minutes before they could properly choose?"

"Well yeah, if they aren't stuffing their face because they are heartbroken or something, they definitely eat chocolate. For the ones who don't like chocolate, and really I wonder if there are any females out there who do, they eat strawberry. But lime is always refreshing, it's sweet and sour, and it could be bitter for your tongue in the beginning but it has an amazing after-taste. And so, for every taste there's a reason but at the end on the line, when we are finally standing in front of the coups of many ice creams, we still doubt. And in the end, you still wish you had chosen the other instead of the one you are eating now." Sakura finished with an inhale of breath, which she needed.

Kiki was at awe. He didn't had any idea that she would give him an entire Wikipedia version as to why women doubted so much about a flavor for ice cream, but he wasn't really amused because of that. He was, though, for that she had no idea she was talking so much and about a subject that was actually taken from a mere joke.

"Does that mean that I should choose for you?" He asked while glancing at her from the very corner of his eyes.

She smiled. "Yeah. Definitely."

It ended up that Kiki had chosen bubblegum cherry flavor for himself and he picked for her Stracciatella. It was perfect, lime flavored ice cream with bits of chocolate chunks in it.

The tall Tatiana gave the man some bills, and Sakura was sure that it was a hell of a lot more than what they actually had to pay. But he just send the man a short nod and a smirk playing at the corner of his lips when he said to him that he could keep the change.

They turned their heels and had to intention of walking away when they both froze on the same time on the same spot.

Sakura was in such a shock that the nicely fresh and right out of the freezer Stracciatella ice cream slipped from between her finger onto the dirty ground at her feet.

Her breathing hitched and her emerald eyes went wide.

And the first thing her mind did was curse. She cursed alright, she cursed karma, she cursed destiny, she cursed faith, she cursed universe, she cursed who ever that was hated her up there, but most of all, she cursed _him_.

Sarina Karin. Uchiha Sasuke.

* * *

**Not over yet, folks! Click, click, click on that purple button to next chappie, hehehe it became too long!**


	12. Too Late PII

Both of them. And the both of them. Both the couples, were staring at the couples.

_Uh-oh._

And all hell broke loose.

Glares were thrown openly at each other. Sasuke at Kiki and Kiki at Karin and Karin at Kiki and Sakura at Sasuke and Karin to Sakura and Kiki to Sasuke and Sasuke to Sakura.

Sasuke took a step forward, Kiki did the same.

"Uchiha." Tatiana growled.

"Tatiana." Sasuke hissed.

"Kiki." Karin sneered.

"Karin." Sakura grumbles.

"Sasuke." Karin warned.

"Sakura." Sasuke grounded.

"Karin." Kiki snapped.

"Kiki." Sakura whispered.

Sasuke flinched inwardly at the soft sound of her voice when she said his sworn enemy's name. She wasn't even supposed to say his name like that. He also noticed that she had said both Kiki and Karin's name once, but not his.

"What," Sakura began, her voice flat and threading. "Are you doing here?" She didn't say what are _they_ doing here, which that must mean that she was direction her question to a specific someone she didn't even want to see, let alone look at, right now. She just asked the question, rather wanting for that redhead woman to answer than that… _man_ beside her.

"This beach doesn't belong to you." Karin replied nastily.

'_Lucky me,__'_ Sakura thought bitterly. _'__At least that woman did answer instead of the other.__'_

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sasuke's deep voice reached her ears, and she noticed that he wasn't looking –well rather glaring- at her but at the male beside herself.

"This beach doesn't belong to you." Sakura shot out. That he wasn't referring to her doesn't mean that she could give a vile comment back, one that she was repeating from his own companion.

His intense, hard, dark orbs dragged themselves from Kiki to her and stayed there for quite some time.

She, on the other hand, couldn't give one damn if he was glaring a hole in her head, because she was doing just as so.

"You heard the lady," Kiki narrowed his eyes while speaking about Sakura. Even though if the Sarina beside the Uchiha had said exactly the same. "So would you please be so kind as to step out of our way and let us be?" His voice maybe have been polite, but the glare he was sending was everything but.

Sasuke deepen his glare, his eyes were so cold that they were hot, staring down the equally tall man before him. "There is no one stopping you from moving, then you are just as good for finally making space for us to go on our way."

"You stopped in front of our feet. Why don't you make yourself useful and let us pass." Kiki took Sakura's arm in his, more to annoy the black haired male before him than for a particularly wanting.

And to amuse Kiki any further, Sasuke snapped, "You son of a bitch," and was about to fully punch the man square against the jaw, for he wasn't at some formal party in front of many guest where he should keep the reputation of the Uchiha name in check.

No, now he can fully enjoy of hearing Kiki's jaw crack, making him lose his balance, seeing him bite his own lip from the impact and see him bleed, and feeling his knuckles hit his face.

However, he couldn't have set one foot and he was held back by a slender arm at his waist. He was surprised that Karin even had the strength to hold him off, now that he was on rampage and the only thing he could see was red.

"Sasuke! Don't go and do anything rash, he doesn't deserve it." Karin told him stern, but angry most of all at the two bitches in front of her because it was them that made Sasuke lose his cool.

But he still struggled, oh hell, this was his chance, this was going to be a field day. He was about to pummel Tatiana until you can't make out the difference from his face and the ground. "Get the fuck off of me." He growled, actually tossing her arm from his person and lured right to the man before him.

"Sasuke!"

He did stop now though. Because even if it was said more in a hiss than in a command, he could still tell that it came from one woman alone. He could hear it above of his anger, loathing and temper.

He froze mid-step, moving his still raging eyes from Tatiana to the female beside him.

She was fuming, and that was still an understatement considering how she looked at him. Her face began to flush a little and her nails were pressed into her palms. Her teeth were clenched together and gritted them hard on each other.

"Get a hold of yourself, you idiot."

Sasuke's eyes grew, as he wanted to clean his ears on this very spot. Did _she_ just call _him_ an idiot?

Sakura wanted to roll her eyes at him. _'__Yes, you retard, __**I **__called __**you**__ an idiot.__'_ She could see from his facial expression alone what he was thinking.

Something that last year she couldn't even do even if he was showing such a obvious face.

"Sakura." Both men said at the same time, and Sakura noticed that Sasuke's voice was somewhat deeper than Kiki's.

The same both men whipped their stares to each other only to shoot glares of ultimate death to one another.

This time, Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Is there an excuse as to why you are calling her name?" Kiki ground out.

"What? Are you relative of her to say that I am forbidden to state her name?" Sasuke retorted.

"I hell as well should b-"

"The both of you stop it." Sakura raised her voice and went to stand in the middle of the two men, who seemed to inch closer and closer to each other as every word passed their lips.

"Kiki, you really should ignore him." And before Sasuke could even think of opening his mouth to protest, she had turned to him with a vicious look of her own. "And you, leave us alone."

Sasuke's scowl became impossible darker, grabbing her upper arm with a tight grip.

"Hey! What the-"

"We need to talk." Sasuke all but dragged her away from the two other persons standing there.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going with her?" Kiki stepped into their direction, but he was too far to grab a hold of Sasuke.

"I thought you have learned to stay out of my business, Tatiana. I need to speak to her."

"I beg your pardon? When did I give you permission to speak to me?" Sakura sneered at Sasuke while trying to tug her arm away from him. He didn't budge in the slightest.

Kiki was silent for a moment, gazing straight to Sakura who stopped her own fights for a moment to stare right back at him. The glare wasn't off of her face, but he knew that it wasn't meant for him.

In some sudden change of aura, Kiki began to smirk. His shoulders relaxed as he lazily crossed his arms in front of his muscular chest.

"Go ahead and speak with her. Since that is the only thing you are ever capable of doing to her. Or will ever do. She will not let you anyway." He wanted to add a chuckle right to it, but thought it was better not to look all too smug. Even though he knew he already was.

Sasuke slightly loosened the grip on Sakura's arm. He only did that so he would be sure that he wouldn't break the woman's arm for he was ready to clench them so hard in attempt to control himself.

Kiki raised both his eyebrows; a sign that was saying 'what-are-you-waiting-for?' and let a smirk creep in the corner of his lips.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes but said nothing, determent to at least talk to Sakura and tugged her away from the other two.

Sasuke took her far enough from Tatiana and Karin, but they weren't out of eye-vision. Yet, far enough to been heard what either of them were saying.

"Let go of me, Uchiha." Sakura snarled and ripped her arm away from his hold. The only reason why she was able to get loose was because he let her. "What exactly is your idea-"

"Why the hell do you keep being with him?" He cut her short, something that annoyed Sakura till no end.

Who the hell did he think he was? God? He had no freaking right in interrupting her, especially when she was pissed at him and he was the one at fault.

"And why the fuck do you care?" She bit back, unable to even stand his presence. "You shouldn't."

"You know who that man is. He can as well-"

"As well what? From my point of view you couldn't care less a year ago, so why do you start now?" She snapped at him.

Sasuke was getting angrier by the minute and her words weren't helping.

"Why don't you go to Karin and leave me the hell alone, like you did all those times." She turned her back to him, ready to walk away. "I'm leaving."

He'd be damned if he would let her go to Tatiana Kiki like that. Couldn't she see that he did not want her near Kiki? Couldn't she see that Kiki might as well just fuck her and leave her? Couldn't she see that he was… that he was…

Hell no.

Sasuke screwed all morals he had. "Shit, Sakura, why can't you just be the lapdog you used to be and shut the fuck up and stay away from Tatiana Kiki because he's just using your ass!"

Sakura spun back around like lightning, emerald hues blazing an intense fire that is nothing compared to the fire in the deepest circles of hell.

"I can't believe you, you pompous platonic prick!" Sakura yelled, couldn't believe her own ears of what Sasuke just said to her, and how he said it. "You dare to insult me in my own face and still you have the nerve to command me of what exactly I should or shouldn't do?! And I may have been that fool who used to listen to every word you said, _Uchiha,_ but that time is way past over!" Every word that raced out of her mouth in rage became louder and louder. "And what the hell is your problem with Kiki anyway? You shouldn't care about me or him or what we are doing together. You have Karin, isn't it her who you always craved for, isn't her who you always wanted? Isn't it her who you would give your life and soul for? So stick to her! And keep your fucking nose out of my business and whomever I am with!"

As angry as Sakura may have been, and how true her words were, Sasuke couldn't and wouldn't accept any of them. The words came in one ear and flew out of it from the other. His own anger didn't lessen either, and he needed to make the point clear that he did not want her near Tatiana Kiki.

He. Did. Not. Want. It.

He took a step closer to her, lowering almost into her face. "You are staying away from him because_ I_ don't want you to!"

"You're too late in wanting anything from me, Uchiha. _Too late_. You can't demand not a single shit from me and expect me to take. Do you hear me, Uchiha? You're too fucking late!" She screamed this time, the one or two people in the distance looking their way as she half pointed to him and shouted.

Kiki had made his way towards them without both of them even realizing. The hand that rested on Sakura's shoulder got her to lower her voice but the definite hate still laced her tone.

"And I want you to stop acting as if you give a crap. Whether you like it or not, I do what the hell I want." With that the woman took Kiki's arm and all but tugged him away from Sasuke, away from either of them.

Sasuke had his orbs narrowed at them as they moved –stormed- away. His eyes didn't shift to anybody else, not even at Karin who stood in silent somewhere beside him.

-

-

-

* * *

"Breathe Sakura, breathe. It's over now, we're gone from him." Kiki took hold of her shoulders gently, coaxing her to calm down.

Sakura was flushed, her cheeks reds from all the heat and her brow still furrowed in a frown.

She still cursed him in her mind, sending all sorts indecent insults his way that she'd picked up from Tenten in the year she practically lived with her. Insults that would make her mother, Shizune and the rest of her clan grow ashamed of.

Her eyes were closed, while they were sitting on some stone bench, the sea a couple of feet behind them, and she tried to relax her nerves and lower the boiling blood that still rushed way too fast through her veins.

"Calm down, angel." He said, his voice soothing and sweet.

Sakura inhaled deeply… and exhaled everything back out. Emerald hues fluttering open, only to see the magnificent face of Kiki staring down at her with his amber mixed with forest green half covered eyes and an enchanting smile on his lips. The picture of him took her breath away and she wished she could freeze this moment and stare at him for as long as she desires.

Kiki caught how her breathing basically stopped and enjoyed the marveled look she got once she opened those sparkling orbs of her.

"Are you feeling better now?" He whispered, inching closer to her.

It didn't seem like she was even noticing that he was closing in on her.

"Yeah, much better now that I'm away from Sasuke's neighborhood." She said breathless, blinking subconsciously.

Kiki had hated the way how that man had come closer to Sakura when they talked. Because of Sakura's rage she wasn't seeing that Uchiha was in her personal bubble. It was only when he had put his hand on her shoulder that Sasuke stepped back. And Kiki didn't like that.

He didn't like it at all.

He raised his hand and cupped her cheek, she immediately leaned into his palm and he pulled her face closer. The pink haired woman closed her eyelids when their lips were merely a breath away from one another. He paused there a moment, taking in her beautiful face, her skin glowing as sunlight hit it and he was really at awe.

Her name was whispered so low and deep, she couldn't suppress the shiver even if she wanted too.

"Sakura."

Their lips brushed each other as he dropped her name and he closed the almost unexcited space between them.

Kiki felt a thrill of excitement shoot through him as he kissed her. He felt like he was sinning and being blessed at the same time when their tongues played together. She felt amazing, she tasted amazing, she smelled amazing, she _is_ amazing.

A carnal need pulsed deep within him and he pressed her closer into him as his hands became busy with feeling the small of her back.

That Uchiha was almost succeeding in having this, having her only moments ago got him jealous and uneasy.

So he kissed her deeper, his hold on her tightened while he pushed her harder into his chest, his hands roamed more and more of her body, but he still was aware enough to avoid intimate private areas.

Sakura was in complete disbelieve of how hot the kiss was. How good it felt to have hands on her and she wished, she really did, that they were inside somewhere and alone.

Kiki nibbled on her lips and wanted to make a hot wet trail to her neck and keep kissing her there, but the good part of his mind told him that he needed to stop. It already went too fast and fact was, they were in public so they couldn't go any further even if he wanted to. So he slowly but surely moved away from her. Ending the intimate moment with a chaste kiss.

She sighed and he smirked when she kept her eyes closed with a blissful smile on her face after the kiss.

"Let's go and cool off in that ocean now, shall we?" Kiki asked softly while nodding to the water.

-

-

-

* * *

"It was so awesome and totally beautiful for the rest of the day." Sakura took a sip of her Hawaiian punch.

"Too bad though that you saw that ass of an Uchiha and his chick." Tenten noted and took a gulp of her Piña Colada.

"But it was the hot kiss that made up for it later." Ino added and drank of her Bellini cocktail.

The three of them were all in their bikinis, lying on a inflatable bed that was big enough for all three, in Sakura's pool that was located in her huge backyard. With sunglasses on each noses they enjoyed to drift on the water while drinking exotic drinks and talking to another.

"I had so much fun with him after that and just forgot everything what happened earlier. I guess that's just a thing the gods blessed him with; so he can make people forget all their worries." Sakura smiled.

"Yeah, you are so liking him, Sakura." Ino beamed at her left.

"Well, what's not to like? He's everything a woman would want." Sakura responded.

"You can't say yet. You haven't even had sex with him!"

"Really, Ino, is that the only thing you can think about?" Tenten questioned at Sakura's right side.

"…………………... No." Ino gave a small nervous laugh. "Of course not! What do you see me for?"

Tenten snorted. "You really don't want to know."

Sakura decided to change the subject. "I can't wait to see him again."

"Hmm, that would be sooner than you think." The brunette played with her fingers over the surface of the water.

An eyebrow rose high above Sakura's glasses. "What do you mean?"

"There's a benefit for children's hospitals for in all through Florida next month. A Hyuuga occasion to be exact." Tenten told her. "I remember now that Tsunade-sama sent me to tell you about that."

"Oh yeah, the benefit!" Ino squealed out at Sakura's other side. "Shikamaru got the invitation too! I'm so gonna be there! I already know what I'm going to wear, which is a miracle in itself because I never know what kind of amazingly dress I should clothe myself with!"

"Thank God," Tenten muttered. "At least a day of endlessly long hours of torture shopping will be saved from our lives."

Sakura laughed and Ino glared half-heartedly, though not visible because of the glasses and the fact that she didn't even raise her head to look at the Hinosyuri.

"Hey! Shopping with me isn't that bad!"

"Says you." Tenten and Sakura told her in unison.

"Anyway, it's a black and white party, so no other colors allowed. The Hyuugas are really strict about that. Once, I saw some movie star appear at a Hyuuga party where the dress code was also black and white but appeared in a flashy red dress. The woman got kicked out of there. It was sad, really." Ino shook her head in pity.

"Isn't that kind of harsh?" Sakura frowned, finding it rude from their behalf.

"Well no, they're Hyuugas, that is pretty much expected from them. But what are you worrying over? You can go and shine for your sweetheart, maybe dance with him and touch him all the time."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. It's going to be great."

-

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* * *

-

**- One Month Later ****–**

**- **

**

* * *

  
**

The Hyuuga estate was huge. Of course, Sakura was already used to things that were huge, and giant and big, but it's still fabulous to see buildings like this with your own eyes.

The house, or at least if you could call it one, -seemed more like a freaking castle- was white of color and had that Romanian contracture to it. With those same high Greek/Romanian piles that fancied the front of the castle-like manor.

It was a sight to see.

The scent of seawater filled her nose, and it was actually refreshing to smell it. It calmed her somewhat nerves that she has.

Why she was nervous, she didn't know. Except for that she was here with a great man, he treated her like royalty, and her mother and friends were around her, she had no excuse to be worried at all.

Her mother knew the Hyuugas. Like she knew many, many people. And this was a benefit ball. She has been to one of those before. So no need to be nervous at all.

Or maybe… it was because she knew that the Uchihas will be there too. And she didn't know if she was still strong enough after what happened last month between her and Sasuke.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then squared her shoulders. He will not get into her.

Revenge is revenge. And that's it.

Besides that, Kiki was all in all excellent to her, more even. She grew very fond of him, she liked him. And he liked her. There was nothing and nobody coming in between.

She snaked her bare arm between Kiki's outstretched one when they stepped out of the limousine. With small steps on her high heeled shoes she walked with him inside.

Tsunade, Shizune and Tenten right behind her.

Her breath hitched when they were inside. It was so beautiful. Oh god, it was beautiful. Except for the hundreds of people that were walking around, the giant ballroom was so amazingly decorated, it made her eyes go wide of astonishment.

A chandelier, one so big Sakura had never seen one like it before, hung at the ceiling. And she literally had to arch her neck like a child to see the ceiling.

_Wow._ Her lips mouthed. But no sound came out of it.

"You like it?" Kiki whispered in her ear.

Sakura simply nodded her head while still looking her eyes out.

"This is Hyuuga's party location. Every ball or party that they throw is been kept in here, some celebrities even rent this place for them to throw there own celebration in here. It's a blessed place, really. Not one party that has been thrown in here wasn't a huge success. One of the things Hyuuga's are known for." He explained with his usually calm and deep voice.

Sakura nodded again in understanding. "I've heard of their clan. Very strong and wealthy."

"And they are. That they own a place like this is evidence enough. They know all sort of families all over the world, and so far, not even one enemy."

Sakura smiled, and like always, there came one of him in return. She still felt a warm tingle in the pit of her stomach when he smiled at her like that. A hint of playfulness within and something unexplainable beheld his eyes. She liked it.

A band, much like at Mikoto's celebration ball, played somewhere at the end of the ballroom.

It was a very formal party, black and white, and Sakura herself was wearing a white dress that was like second skin. It fits perfectly and every little round curve of her body came out. Some matching Gucci shoes decorated her feet.

Her hair was pinned up, only few strands fell perfectly around her lightly made-up face. A white pin with very detailed cherry blossoms were carved in it, held her hair up from her back.

Kiki stared at least one minute in complete silence, without blinking in the slightest, at Sakura when he first laid eyes on her that day.

He complimented her like he always would, and once again for no apparent reason, Sakura blushed.

His attractive smile only grew seeing that.

The place was already stuffed with people, many attractive and lip-stick colored lips smiled and laughed at their company that was with them.

Nobody acknowledged their entrance when Sakura, Kiki, Tsunade, Shizune and Tenten came in. There were already hundreds and hundreds of people, all dressed in black or white, or a combination of above, for as far as the eye could see.

Sakura blinked a few times, wondered how this place was big enough for all these people and for them to eventually go and dine somewhere.

Kiki explained that this magnificent ballroom, was merely the entrance hall. They haven't seen anything yet. Sakura was shocked, to say the least. This hall alone had the size of half a football fields. Or maybe more… what is there more that she hadn't already seen?

Holding on to Kiki's hand, they walked between all the guest to a row of waiting people.

"What's going on?" Sakura whispered into Kiki's ear. Although, because of the large amount of people surrounding her, and of the loud, albeit, soft beating music, she had the feeling she needed to scream for Kiki to actually hear her.

"We're going to need to greet the host himself, of course." Kiki answered smoothly.

Sakura could slab herself against her forehead. But of course she need to meet the host himself. That is something that needs to be done at every formal party.

Her mother came to her, told her that it would be only proper if she was the one that introduced her daughter to the host of the party for they have never met, instead of her escort. Kiki just nodded in understanding and stood behind them.

She and Tsunade waited in patience in the row when they finally reached three people. All who were wearing black and white kimonos. They were exactly of the same material and the same color, but the design of each one was different. The first one, who was wearing a straight simple kimono, whit fine white lines decorating the hem, was a rather tall man.

The blond Senju and the man bowed shortly to each other, they smiled –although his was mere a smirk- and Tsunade greeted him.

"May I introduce to you my daughter; Sakura." Tsunade had decided a long time ago that she wouldn't be mentioning Sakura's last name, for she was still married.

"Sakura," Her mother said to her, "This is Hyuuga Hiashi, the very host of this benefit."

Sakura smiled and he did this time too, bowing to one another. "The heiress of the Senju clan, a pleasure in meeting you, Miss." He stated formally.

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine." Sakura answered back smoothly, just as formally.

He nodded and pointed to a young woman, a female that looked about the same age as herself, at his side. "This is my eldest daughter, Hyuuga Hinata."

They bowed for each other, her eyes were soft and she seemed very shy of nature. Her kimono was long enough to cover most of her but it was the sleeves of her kimono that took all the attention. They were extremely long, almost reaching the ground, and also here every edge and collar was white.

She smiled up to her, a tiny barely there smile, but Sakura saw it and smiled too.

"And this is my youngest daughter, Hyuuga Hanabi."

The female besides the eldest daughter was a young girl. She seemed sixteen if maybe a little older. Also her kimono was different than her sister's and her father's. A white obi holding her kimono while the neckline of the clothing was round, unlike the other two that was v-style.

She bowed again, this time to the teenage girl and she smiled to Sakura too, even if it was kind of forced. Sakura paid no attention to it. She was probably here the most of the day, greeting all sort of people, smiling the whole time. She must be exhausted.

Sakura saw how her mother did a short small talk with Hiashi, later also Shizune and Tenten and after that Tatiana Kiki.

The two man smirked at one another and their conversation wasn't long at all. He bowed to the two female Hyuugas but that was about it. After that he returned at Sakura's side.

Her eyes quickly caught the Hyuuga heiress, her face as soft as it was when she just met her.

'_Hinata was her name? I should make a small chat with her some time. She seems really quiet, that must mean that she doesn__'__t talk to many people.__'_ Sakura noted in her head as Kiki leaded her more into the gigantic hall.

The band played enjoyable music, but nobody was dancing. Not that there was exactly room for it anyway.

"Something to drink ma'am?" A young man suddenly asked politely beside her. He clearly belonged to the caterers.

He held a black serving-plate in his right hand with several glasses on them. Sakura took the Martini and Kiki, in the other hand, took a champagne.

As they walked into the crowded place, Sakura felt more and more eyes on them. She softly squeezed in Kiki's arm that she was holding on.

"Hmm?" Kiki mumbled with question marks all over him.

"Why is everybody looking at us?" She whispered.

Her tall escort looked around at the realization of her remark. "Correct, many of them are staring at us. But that's only because of you. Who wouldn't stop and stare at a gorgeous woman as yourself?"

"Kiki, I'm being serious. Quit with the flirting and flattering."

"Oh, but I am serious, Sakura." Just as so, his voice dropped a notch, going deeper. "I have no reason to lie, as I am only stating the truth." He smiled, a teasing one. "Don't worry, angel, ignore them if they get on your nerves."

Sakura took his advice and ignored them, looking around the place now passively.

"It's too bad," Kiki began after a moment of walking through the guests, his green mixed with amber eyes flicked over to the smaller woman beside him. "That it is too crowded in here. Or else I would've asked you for a dance."

She softly gasped and blushed. This is beginning to annoy her. She passed that stage of blushing and turning red a long time ago. But she couldn't help it, every time Kiki did such actions she got the feeling that she was the old Sakura again. Well… at least for as far as it goes for physically responses to a very handsome man.

When she turned to face him, she found him so close to her. He lowered to her eye level and she actually felt his breath fan against her cheek; so small their distance of each other was.

This made her memories instantly trick; the last time she had kissed Kiki was at the beach one month ago. It had made her feel flustered and disorientated and gave her the feeling like she had the ability to fly. It was like magic and it was hot.

Come to think of it, the kiss seemed a bit… possessive. Could it be that it was a jealousy kiss?

Could that be the explanation for such claiming kiss because they had met Sasuke earlier that day? Because she and Sasuke talked alone? Was it a kiss to prove to her that he was better than Sasuke?

She blinked her emerald eyes and Kiki smirked. "You want to dance with me?" Sakura asked, as if in disbelieve.

"But of course," He stated the obvious in his calmly self. "It must be a gift from above to have you so close to me."

She smiled back to him.

No, there's no way he just did that to rivalry against Sasuke. Kiki would not ever steep that low.

Just as she thought about their kiss once again, and her previous encounter with the Uchiha, she mentally froze. She totally forgot. _He _was also here. She hadn't seen any Uchiha walk by, or someone they're familiar with.

But then again, there were really many people, he and his ridiculous pack of friends should be hidden somewhere.

'_And it__'__s better if they stay hidden.__'_

She really did not want to see any of their faces. Maybe they weren't here. Oh, how she hopes for that. But they weren't the kinds of persons who would ever miss a benefit like this. The crossing thought of Sasuke coming and talking to Kiki like he had a claim on her pisses her off.

He had Karin, damn it. Wasn't it her who the asshole always wanted? Couldn't he just stick to her till the end of days and leave her be?

If that wasn't enough, Sakura recalled that Ino said that she was going to the benefit with Shikamaru. Meaning that if she saw the platinum blond, she would also see her boyfriend, who will be standing amongst his own friends, whereas a certain Uchiha will also be.

Fuck.

Unless she sees Ino all alone later this evening, it's a definitely avoiding her tonight.

It was precisely at eight o'clock when the band stopped with playing one single note.

On that very same mini-stage, where the band played, a man came. Sakura recognized him as the man she met earlier today. Hyuuga Hiashi.

"Welcome, welcome you all," He said through the microphone."To our annual Benefit Ball. Thank you for coming here tonight. By your appearance alone, we've collect two-hundred-thousand dollars for all children hospitals throughout Florida. Behalf of all the children I'll say that they're very grateful for your charity. As gratitude, we want to grant you a wonderful evening, whereby we will treat you a five-course meal later tonight. But for now, could you direct to the next hall, if you please. Where the rest of the evening will take place."

On cue, two ceiling high doors at the west side of the hall opened. And those were one of the tallest doors Sakura had ever seen in her life.

They seemed very heavy, too heavy to be opened by a single person alone.

But opening they were, revealing a new hall where all the people walked in their own calm pace into.

Sakura had difficulties with breathing when she too stepped into the hall. This hall was definitely way larger than the previous one they were in.

The colors gold and royal red ruled in here.

Red roses were beautifully set against walls and on the decorated round tables, where Sakura was very sure of that they were going to have diner there this evening. All plates had a golden lining and every spoon, knife and fork was made of gold. The tables were stationed at the south side of this remarkable grand ballroom, which still left a huge space that seemed to be made as a dance floor.

One must imagine the size of this place, it's simply indescribable.

There was another stage at the very north side of the hall. It wasn't particularly big, but it was severe sizes bigger than the other stage in the entrance hall.

"I told you that you haven't seen anything yet." Kiki said to her when he saw the expression of total awe on her face.

"I know, you've told me." She answered breathlessly, for it was still caught somewhere in her throat. "But I didn't thought it would be this…" She stopped, not knowing which word to use.

"Spectacular?" The male beside her suggested.

"Yes. Exactly."

Kiki brought himself and the lady at his side to some unoccupied, empty space. A spot where you could see the people leaking in easily, just as easily where they can spot you too. People walked into the other hall and when her mother, Shizune and Tenten walked inside, they smiled and waved.

Tenten went as far as to even wink, hinting that she kept a playful eye on her and Tatiana.

Sakura only made the gesture that she laughed.

The smile of amusement that her friend had created lingered on her face when her mother and her friends moved to somewhere in the hall. And she suddenly froze to death when she saw who was right behind the three women.

A wide-ass grin, a flash of yellow and sparkling azure orbs had Sakura's blood circulation stopping.

It was exactly those features that had made Sakura akin to a statue.

Because anywhere where Uzumaki Naruto was, _he_ was there too.

Following the heels of the whiskered man, was a tall fellow. Sakura recognized him as family member of the host of this very party. Hyuuga Neji.

His face was glaring to Uzumaki Naruto, because the blonde was jumping around like a kid that has severe problems holding his sugar.

Another way too familiar face came into Sakura's view. And that was the one and the only Yamanaka Ino. She was grinning like an idiot herself while holding Nara Shikamaru's arm. This must only mean that she was having a good time.

Her boyfriend on the other hand seemed like he was irritated and bored at the same time. Probably a face that only he was able to pull off.

Behind them were two other males, males that one should not ever forget. Inuzuka Kiba and Rock Lee.

By the grin on both of their faces it seems like they were having fun time, too. Apparently Naruto had said something, which made the Inuzuka agree because he was about to high-five the Uzumaki, but a deadly glare that Neji shot him stopped him from doing so. The Hyuuga wasn't content with whatever Naruto had said.

The action made a laugh come out from Ino.

Naruto scoffed, crossed his arms and slightly turned away from Neji, not before giving him the evil eye and then said something that was directed beyond all the heads that stood before him.

What happened from now on was like faith intervening. The scene unfolding felt like a cheap movie, it was so cheesy and corny and far-fetched and so unreal, it made Sakura fume uncontrollably.

The band was ready with re-settling on the stage she had seen earlier. They began playing a soft serene song. The melody had made a shiver run through Sakura's body as she saw her nightmare walk in.

Uchiha _freaking_ Sasuke.

His expression was stoic, -when was it not?- and not one muscle moved in that flawless face of his. Those dark eyes were set on Naruto, as he was kind of responding to the Uzumaki for what looks like that something that the blond said that was addressed to him.

Sakura fought the urge the crunch her nose in venom, hate and disgust when her gaze flew to his side.

Evil has taken human form, named as Sarina Karin, who was all but glued to Sasuke like a magnet.

Her clinginess to the Uchiha was one of despair, Sakura was certain of that. Karin does it just so she can show to any other females that she had a claim on that gorgeous man.

Unlike Sasuke, who didn't make a reaction at all, -typical- Karin did laugh out loud at Naruto's sentence.

All the men were clad in black smokings with white shirt below. While Ino was wearing a simple white satin dress. Karin, though, was wearing a black shimmering evening dress that was V-cut, that went low, flashing breast and two high slits at either side of her dress, leaving very little at all to imagination.

Not that one should ever want to imagine body parts of Sarina Karin.

Sakura raised a mental eyebrow in question. What? Was she trying to beat her by taking a dress with more flesh revealing? The design was something alike as the red one Sakura was wearing when she revealed herself for the first time at Uchiha's mansion, only Karin's was more sluttish. As if Sasuke hasn't seen all of it yet. What was she trying to prove?

The slow song continued with playing as the group went further into the hall.

Kiba walked over to Naruto and said something to him. The two snickered like little children and immediately their eyes went all sorts of directions.

It didn't even took a second for Kiba to nudge Naruto at his side and pointed to his right. The Uzumaki looked at what he pointed to, and his face turned into a perverted dog, ready to drool when he saw a beautiful young lady.

He nodded his head as if he came to an agreement with the Inuzuka, and then once again their eyes flew every possible way.

Sakura blinked once, and Naruto's face went dead serious.

There was nothing childish, perverted or horny in his expression anymore. He suddenly stood straight, lips going into a thin line.

Sakura and Naruto looked each other straight in the eye.

When Kiba turned to poke his blonde friend again, he saw a different kind of face on Naruto than he was expecting. By the movement of Kiba's lips, it looked like he was calling his name.

The Uzumaki didn't respond nor acknowledged him.

They were staring each other, she and Naruto. No one blinked, no one talked, no one barely breathed. Even if there was a fair large distance between them, they felt as if they were standing within a mere 2 feet in front of one another.

Naruto knew what this meant, Sakura being at this party is a definitely problem for his best friend. Especially when she was at the party with _that_ man.

The time froze for him, blue was locked with green and hers narrowed if just only a little. If he wasn't looking into her orbs that concentrated he wouldn't even have noticed.

A shifting movement beside Sakura had him to tear his eyes away after the longest time, towards the one next to her.

It was Tatiana Kiki, there was no mystery there. And he was looking quite angry, unlike Sakura, Naruto's serious hues found Kiki's but only for a second, before Kiki looked over to Sasuke, a glare that held a definite vengeance.

Sasuke looked up to Kiba and his best pal when he heard the dog boy call the blonde's name more than three times. He was met with the sight of the pink haired woman and that awful man he had seen just a month ago, and stiffened instantly.

Karin looked too, and red manicured nails set almost bloody crescents in her palms when she saw who was before them.

The two of them together sickened Karin. How both of them could stand there, so close to each other annoyed her. That Sakura should've stayed the hell away from Tatiana Kiki was something that Karin wished for every day.

Gah! They were so gross! They weren't even meant to be together! Tatiana Kiki was… Tatiana Kiki was… not Sakura's!

Sasuke shifted, looking away from Sakura and the man that accompanied her, walking to the very other direction from the two.

Naruto got a questioned look when Sasuke had simply walked away from them with Karin right at his side. He didn't even spare any of them around him another word or glance.

Kiba looked at Lee, who looked at Neji, he looked at Shikamaru who was staring at Sasuke's retrieving back with a raised brow.

There were no letters spoke, no words at all, but the question still lingered in the group.

_Did he just simply ignore Sakura and Tatiana Kiki? _

Shrugging, Shikamaru followed with his platinum blond girlfriend Sasuke's trail. The other three males did the same, except for one.

The tall blond was glued on the spot he stood, still staring at Sasuke's walking away trail.

He was not fooled by Sasuke's act of coolness.

He had known Uchiha Sasuke his entire life and was one of the only two people in this world that understood the man, the other person happen to be his mother.

Sasuke may show off a cool aura now, an aura that he always possessed and became even cooler over the years, Uzumaki Naruto knew that Sasuke was all _but_ calm and collect from the inside at this point. In fact, if it weren't for his self-control then he would've explode of anger.

Lightning may hit him if Naruto was wrong about that.

He turned his ocean blue eyes to Sakura and Kiki one more time. Sakura didn't seem like she was freaking out like he knew that Sasuke is inside on this very moment, but her brow was furrowed in displeasure.

Kiki beside her though, looked like he could break the champagne glass he was holding. He was visibly gritting his teeth, and the intent to kill was in his extraordinary colored eyes. He too was following Sasuke still with an iron glare, but Sakura wasn't. Her gaze had already found his.

Naruto decided that he wasn't going to hold their contact as long as they did before and he fell behind of his group of friends.

-

-

-

* * *

Sasuke's jaw was clenched, harder than he ever had.

He felt like he could explode of anger if it weren't for his self-control. He held himself from hitting some bastards because he was at a party at the house of the Hyuugas. God may kill him if he loses his cool, reputation and control just for a whim to beat a certain Tatiana Kiki into a bloody pulp.

So in order for him not to snap, he walked away from them all together and settled with simply ignoring them.

That couldn't be that hard. He was the king of ignorance himself. He could ignore everybody and everything if he wanted to like it was his second nature. Which it actually was.

He just had to be… himself.

He let out an invisible quiet sigh, going straight into cold-mode.

"Ne, Sasuke, I nevah wouldda thought that your lil' missy would be here. And look how smokin' hot she looks, damn! Lemme tell ya, I definitely will burn maself if I touched her. She's on freakin' fiyah!" Kiba gave a low cat-call.

Sasuke played it cool, he did.

'_If he so much as lay one finger on her-__'_

"You aren't troubled with this, are you, Sasuke?" Naruto asked quietly, knowing exactly how Sasuke's feels.

The look that the Uzumaki received from the Uchiha alone, a glare, told him he should fuck off with the subject Sakura and that he was getting irritated.

Nobody dared to say anything after that. They all very well knew what Sasuke meant with that glare, so they took his example and ignored the other two people at the other side of the hall.

If only they could.

-

-

-

* * *

Onyx eyes shifted through the crowd. He was bored and there were people that was annoying the hell out of him. Well, a specific someone was annoying him.

He looked around when he entered the hall, and even if he tried to block out that annoying person's voice, he couldn't help it but to catch his comment anyway.

"Hn. They did a better job in decorating this place this time." He always had to state such ungrateful sentences. They weren't necessary but he always had to pick the bad things out.

He was grumpy. He was like that from the moment they had left the house and couldn't keep his yap with every little foul his eyes fell on.

That was what the onyx eyed male was annoyed with.

"And they always have to exaggerate every ball they throw. Damn low life fools." His voice was like always; stoic and stern.

"Could you stop your whining for once already?" The woman beside him tightened her grip on his arm so he would quit talking.

Itachi was silently thanking his mother for shutting his father the hell up. He kept himself countless times from snapping at the elder man, for he knew that if he didn't, they will go into a huge fight without able to stop. Like it always was.

Fagaku growled something beneath his breath but didn't go on any further. Truth is, he hadn't planned or had the like of feeling to go to this ball. But of course, with the wife he had, he could not ever stay away from a party like this even if he couldn't move an inch and all of his limbs were broken.

Although Mikoto had subtly said to keep his mouth quiet, she couldn't force the scowl off of his face.

Not that anybody was surprised to see that look upon him. Everybody who knew Uchiha Fagaku also knew that he didn't like in the slightest to go into crowded societies, much like this one. He didn't like human contact, or any contact at all with persons he wasn't comfortable with, which were only a handful.

Fagaku contorted face deepened, sending his glare to any guest who were even thinking to come near to greet either him or his wife.

Itachi didn't roll his eyes just yet, and decided to keep looking around.

The ball was full of people, like every occasion the Hyuugas have. They had a reputation of things like this after all, one that they had to keep up, so with every event, they throw a party that was even better than the last one they had.

Their name has gone so far that V.I.P's from far and wide come over to enjoy at one of their parties.

Itachi wasn't a party man. He was much more into himself and likes to keep his time for things more important than hitting parties.

For example, he was in Australia doing some business for his company when his mother had her birthday celebration. Two weeks later, when he visited his parents at their own residence, his mother had told him quite a story, -he rather calls it a story than gossip- about a woman he hadn't seen nor heard of for more than a year.

He couldn't believe his own ears of what had happened at his mother's ball. It was a shock, to say the least, to hear that she was the daughter of Senju Tsunade and with that, knowing that she's the heiress of that famous -not to mention- wealthy clan. And if that news hadn't had him choke on his own salvia for a moment, then hearing that she had come with such entrance, her escort being Tatiana Kiki and that she had kissed Sasuke in front of the whole ball did the trick.

He remembered that name and the face that came with it, Tatiana Kiki. His memory was impeccable splendid and he never forgets things. And definitely not the name of the man who ran away with Karin on her and Sasuke's wedding day.

And now, Tatiana Kiki was with the actual wife of Sasuke.

Now that Itachi thought about it, he could've chuckled at the irony of it all.

And then there was another thing that had reached his hearing which he did not believe. Something that made his curiosity rise and is, actually, truth to be told, the very reason why he was here.

His mother told him that the woman he had a few but short sophisticated and somehow interesting conversations with, the woman that he had mistrusted, the woman that was his little brother's wife thus his sister-in-law, had become an unbelievable divine beauty.

One that had come back to Miami, appeared before everyone's eyes with Tatiana, kissed Sasuke, poured Karin with champagne, scolded both her and Sasuke and then left them all in a breath-hitching-jaw-dropping shock.

Itachi had to see if this was true with his own eyes.

Never, not even once in a million years, would he have thought that he was especially coming to anything for a woman like Sakura.

But the whispers went all through the high society of Miami. The little scandal at Uchiha Mikoto's celebration ball of her son and her daughter-in-law was all over town. Sasuke being a top businessman and a womanizer at that, didn't make it all easier.

Itachi mentally shook his head as he went through this, swiftly grabbing a glass of champagne from a bypassing waiter without spilling a drop.

This all seemed like a soap series to him.

Although, he should say, that it is the most interesting thing that happened in years, if not ever. And it all started when Sasuke had picked up Sarina Karin from the middle of nowhere.

Where had they met again?

Oh yeah, at that non-stop party on Sasuke's yacht -_Sharingan_- through the Caribbean Sea for two weeks that that blonde friend of his had thrown.

Itachi sighed. On the other hand, all these dramatic scenes that's happening did gave his father hell of a lot new reasons to be angry and scowl all the freaking time.

He took a sip of his champagne and looked over his shoulder to see if Fagaku was still scowling -which he was sure of- only to see that his parents were nowhere near.

Thinking so much of his little brother's life got him to just walk ahead.

Not that he was planning of sticking with his father all night. Hell no. Itachi staying with Fagaku together too long could only lead to two things; either he got drunk at the end of the night so he could endure his father or he and Fagaku will get in an enormous fight. Or both.

Nope, he was glad that he lost them. Now he could enjoy of the party in peace and silence.

He took another sip of his drink and slid easily between al the talking guest.

Many women with big… assets searched for his eye contact, and once they had they batted their orbs in sugary, naughty kind of way, and pushed their gifts, whether they were God's blessings or doctor's creations that either daddy or old husbands had paid for them, higher and fuller into his direction.

He held the urge to scoff. Don't get him wrong, Itachi had women, more than he would honestly admit, but he preferred his women to be… real. Down-to-earth women that held not only grace and beauty but also brains.

He wasn't a fling kind of guy, like his little brother was seemingly to be.

Or maybe he was, but he hadn't had that many on such a scale like Sasuke.

Either way, he didn't do one-night-stands as much as he used to.

That was probably because he was out of his younger years and decided to go a little more… serious.

The music that the live band was playing were all slow songs that wasn't too loud but just perfect enough to be heard throughout the entirety of the hall.

He knew exactly the music schedule of one Hyuuga party. It's not that he had been to many balls or benefits of theirs, on the contrary, it was because with every occasion the music schedule was exactly the same.

And not only he knew it, no, every guest who had been to a Hyuuga party more than 3 times knew it.

No ball of theirs has been officially start without the dance, Royal Waltz, has been done.

Itachi remembers it so clearly; an announcer will come on stage right after the last slow song has played in three or five times in a row, and he will ask all the guests to make place for the Royal Waltz.

Once they did, the host opens the dance with a partner and after he had taken at least three steps, other guests were allowed to come and join them if they desired so. And soon, at least a little over half of the guests there were dancing the Waltz in order to officially start the party.

He always watched them in not really amusement, but also not in displeasure, either, at all the dancing couples.

He wonders if his little brother will take his girlfriend to participate this time for the dance.

But he doubts it.

He took another sip of his champagne and shifted his eyes, when he suddenly had to fight to keep his lips together so his almost-swallowed liquid wouldn't come sputtering out of his mouth like a fountain.

He drank the champagne quickly, and this time it went into the right gullet.

He had come to reasoning that whatever went down with Sasuke must've been pretty hard, and he also had to say that his mother didn't exaggerate one bit. In fact, he thought, that she had under-exaggerate. Especially now when he was seeing it, _her_, with his very own eyes.

Said eyes blinked once, as he took her appearance slowly from bottom till top and then over again.

Her posture was tall and proud, albeit her height wasn't all that differently than from the last time he saw her. Actually, if it weren't for those impressively, although elegant heels, she still would've been the same in length. But it was the aura she peeled off in wave after wave with every move she made that had her stand out.

Her chin was held high, like she wouldn't look down for no one -anymore- and now would look every one in the eye, even if her opponent was three feet tall. Her spine was straight and her shoulders were square. Not like they used to be, when they slumped and her body was like she rather wanted to hide in some shell along with the turtle in it than be out there.

Herself and especially her eyes gave out confident and grace, both of which she lacked some year ago.

Her hair was perfectly up, a hairdo fit for a queen and strands, the color of full out blossomed leafs of a pink rose framed her face.

The main excuse as to why her hair was up, was probably because the entirety of the backside of her white dress was gone and only began to cover where her spine ended. The dress was snugly around her persona until they lightly flared out from her hips and on, only to stop a little above her ankles where her white high heeled shoes fit around her small feet.

She wasn't even feeling that he held her in his scrutiny, as she was too busy with talking to her escort.

And of course his eyes didn't fail to notice with whom exactly she's speaking to.

It seems that also that rumor was true. Not only had Sakura… changed drastically, her escort is the so infamous Tatiana Kiki. He didn't doubt that she spent her free time with that male too, or else she wouldn't have brought him to the second party like this.

The man beside her must have said something very amusing because Sakura laughed. It was short and she giggled more than actually laugh, but still, her face lit up and she smiled uncontrollably.

Itachi had never seen her smile, not even a ghost of a smirk. He only remembered her face either grim, sad or teary.

Itachi decided that Sakura was, last year, more miserable than he could ever imagine with his little brother.

And here she was, apparently happy, confident, smiling and more importantly, looking more beautiful than she had ever been.

Itachi blinked slowly, the whole act together seemed predatory but nobody saw it anyway. He wondered if his incredibly foolish little brother had already set his eyes on his own wife.

He almost chuckled. Oh yeah, he was sure Sasuke had and he was sure that he's on the brick of strangling people.

Itachi shifted his weight between his legs, kept an eye on that pink haired lady and sipped the last bit of his drink.

-

-

-

* * *

"I still can't believe the size of this place." Sakura's eyes followed the ceiling, where many little star-like lights hung above them.

"I couldn't either when I attended one of the Hyuuga's party for the first time, and that was three years ago. And to be honest, I'm still struck in awe and admire every time I do." Kiki shot her a smile, one that she happily returned.

"So you just played tough, but in the inside you're just like me. A kid in a candy shop?" Sakura said teasingly.

Kiki's smirk affirmed everything, so he didn't had to say a word.

"Talking about candy shop," Sakura said, putting one hand on her belly. "I'm hungry like a wolf."

"When was the last time you ate?" Kiki followed her hand with his gaze as she pressed it against her flat stomach.

Sakura's cheek tinted a pretty light color of pink. "Since six o'clock."

"It's nine now, I can wonder why you're hungry."

"I see just a small buffet over there. I'll just-"

"No, no, you just stay here." Kiki interrupted her gently, already stepping into the direction of the buffet she spotted. "Wait here, I'll take something for you, I insist."

Sakura wanted to protest, but Kiki was already three steps away from her. Her inner self shrugged. Whatever, if he insist, why not give him the pleasure and let him be the gentleman he's so desperately wants to be?"

She followed his back until he couldn't see him anymore because of the other guests.

She sighed contently, no matter who she had seen just earlier tonight, her evening was splendid with Kiki.

He made her laugh, he made her talk and she simply forgot… pretty much anything.

She stood there alone for at least 5 minutes or so, when suddenly the band had abruptly stopped with playing and a man that Sakura didn't recognize was on the stage with the band.

"Good evening," The man said through the microphone."I sincerely hope that you all have enjoyed till now." The man grinned toothily. "But as you surely know, this benefit can't be officially opened without the Royal Waltz. So if you please make room for the opening."

All guest, every one of them, made room in the hall, creating a place for a whole basketball team to play a game.

Violins began the intro and in that same second, the man that Sakura knew who was the host, -Hyuuga Hiashi, was it?- came with his eldest daughter, Hyuuga Hinata, on the recently created dance floor.

In their black with white kimonos they went in the middle of the hall. Her small right hand was in his much bigger left hand until he swiftly tugged her to him. As Hiashi seemed to look everyone in the eye with his lavender pupil less orbs, his daughter, however, had her eyes cast down, looking like she was too shy to look up to anyone.

The familiar song of Johann Strauss began in play and sure enough, the two Hyuugas actually danced the Waltz. Step, step and slightly lift, step, step, and so on and on.

After they had opened the dance, being in everyone's attention for a full minute, more than 5 couples went in perfectly onto the dance floor. None of the couples missed a step and all of them moved exactly on the same time. It seemed as if it was rehearsed.

More people went to join the dance, and seeing them, Sakura wanted to dance too. She never had done the Waltz, but looking upon them she learned quickly and she was sure that Kiki was able to dance it.

Only… where _is _Kiki?

He didn't come back from the snack he promised to bring for her. But she didn't exactly blamed him because they were just requested to create space for the opening.

Still, what was taking him so long?

Sakura glanced over to all the dancing people, all moving in one serenade and she got the urge again to dance just like them.

She walked to the buffet, as she got two steps into that direction until she felt a light tap on her shoulder and heard her name being dropped.

"Miss Sakura?"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

No way. No freaking way is this happening. No way was _he_ standing behind her.

She didn't want to see him, again, much less face him and talk to him. She knew that if she saw him close to her, all the rage she felt at the beach a month ago, will return and he would ruin her night.

She didn't even want him to say her name. It repulse her that-

Wait a minute… _Miss_ Sakura?

Sakura slowly turned on her heel and what a surprise she got as she saw that it was not the one who she thought it would be, but someone who looks so much alike.

Just as in the garden last year, she totally thought it was _him_. Only it was his older version.

"Itachi!" Her voice wasn't stammering or stuttering, no, it was as strong as she liked it only it held utter shock and surprise.

The Uchiha stood just two feet away from her, being his tall self, slightly cocking his head down to look her in the eye.

She blinked at him, her emerald eyes still didn't go to their normal size.

"Miss Sakura," He repeated, his voice didn't change at all. "Would you join me in this dance?" To shock her more, Itachi held out his right hand as an invitation.

Sakura couldn't believe he was actually asking her that. She looked at his hand and stared long at it.

She couldn't go and dance with the brother of the man she didn't even want to see drawn. She couldn't go and dance with a man while she was waiting for her own escort. She couldn't go and dance with the very man who had once really mistrusted her. She couldn't go and dance with that particular man. Period.

Although, time was running out and she really, really wanted to have this dance. And Kiki was nowhere to be found. And the dance would be over soon if she kept standing there. And besides, she didn't despise this Uchiha male like the other two she knows.

So, deciding that he was the only one who could still give her the pleasure for this dance, she slowly took his hand.

One barely visible smirk appeared on his face when she took his invitation. He leaded the both of them onto the dance floor.

Sakura was once again shocked to know that Itachi could dance, but then again, what couldn't Uchihas possibly don't do?

It looked like he walked with her till the middle of the dance floor and she gasped when he made her twirl 360 degrees, her dress flaring slightly up, giving the twirl much more effect, then pulled her to him.

Instantly his right hand found her naked back, and his left hand found her right one. She instinctively put her unoccupied hand on his shoulder.

He didn't even look to the other couples around to see in which step he should fall in. He just kept his gaze locked on hers and, within the same second that he had tugged her to him, he began to lead her.

They moved exactly like everybody else.

The band kept playing Strauss and so everybody kept in tight quick moves to the beat.

Sakura was so amazed that Itachi leaded her along the dance floor precisely like everyone else, she had a hard time not to gape at him like an idiot during their dance.

He didn't say anything to her so she said nothing back. She's been leaded and twirled, her dress flaring around her, while they kept eye contact locked at all times.

Thirty seconds had passed between them in complete silence. Thirty seconds that seemed more like thirty hours than half a minute. Thirty seconds where the world actually consisted of him, her, the music and the dance floor.

Thirty seconds… after that, and shockingly, Itachi had broken the trance.

"Long time no see," He began. "Miss Sakura."

"A year." She answered calmly. "Itachi."

"In which time you've changed enormously, I see." His face was as collect as his tone.

"In which time I have changed in personality, too. What you have not seen yet." Sakura responded simply, got twirled by him again like any other female on the dance floor.

Itachi connected their hands as quickly as it came when she returned to him. "So I've heard. I had to assume that after that stunt you pulled at my mother's celebration ball."

"I hope I didn't make a very big fuzz about that, now did I?" Her voice held some sarcasm that he seemed to ignore.

Sure, Itachi heard and could've seen it coming that Miss Sakura would be different. But he wasn't expecting her to be this different. She was absolutely _not_ the same woman he spoke to a year ago. He was… taken aback, to say the least.

"Why are you back here in Miami? Sure enough you can't be here for my little brother after how he treated you, are you?" He skipped to the point, he found himself already beating around the bus way too long. Talking like that was not his style.

And Sakura noticed it at the same moment. She guessed that being straight through sea was a trade within their family.

"This is something that annoys me of you Uchihas, the world doesn't involve around you alone. I came back merely on a whim."

"On a whim? Or for revenge? Something that I would've done."

As they talked they danced all through the hall. Between other pairs but moving all alike all the while.

Sakura didn't got the chance though, to comment on that, as he quickly proceeded.

"Your revenge on my little brother may be deserved, I can do nothing but to agree on that, as long as you don't do _it_ harm."

Sakura was debating between to things what he meant with 'it'.

"Do what harm? The Uchiha name, or their company?"

Itachi twirled her again, his hand finding her back once more, only a little bit lower than before he had twirled her.

"Both." He remarked as soon as she was returned to him.

"You should be more concerned on your little brother with harming your precious name and that company." Sakura retorted. "He's the one who gets left at the altar and within six months he had married another woman. And then, three months later, he hooks up again with the same woman who left him in the church in front of all the guests and who was pregnant of another man, too." She paused to make her point clear.

"And you're worrying _I__'__m_ the one who's going to harm the Uchiha name?"

"I've always known and have said that he is foolish. But you're-"

"The least of your problems, Itachi." She injected him. Something that took him off guard.

He had never been interrupted by her if not by anyone else ever at all. Uchihas got hardly interrupted, instead that always did the interrupting.

"True." He stated, not showing that he was slightly offended. "As much as it isn't my business to mingle in my brother's life-"

"Then don't." She did it again.

But he proceeded. "It is still my family and its name."

"You shouldn't fear for a scandal even if it has already occurred. You seem to come and warn me like a lion who is guarding its territory, while you're not paying attention that other animals are destroying it from the inside out."

Itachi wanted to chuckle at how Miss Sakura referred to Karin, but decided to go against it.

"I am well aware that there are other animals that are destroying the territory from the inside, but that doesn't mean I want more threats from the outside." Itachi continued smoothly.

"How am I a threat from the outside, if I'm an animal from the inside?" Sakura balanced on her toes for a second when they had to lift just a bit and then proceeded with turning about the dance floor like all the others around them.

Itachi crooked a slightly confused eyebrow at his dancing partner.

"I am his wife, remember?" Sakura answered his unspoken question. "I belong in your territory."

Itachi smirked down at her again, and twirled her. The dress making them entirely enchanting, almost fairytale like. He pulled her back to him, harder than he was planning -or maybe not?- and her body came flush in contact with his.

She felt him closer than she was comfortable with and she was surprised when her much softer chest hit his hard one. She let out a silent gasp but before she could lose her footing, Itachi had held her steady and continued going on with the dance on Strauss' originally tune.

"Let's see _Miss_ Sakura," He spoke, and it was only now that the pink haired woman notice that even if Itachi's voice is so much as the same as his little brother's, Itachi's was a tone deeper. One would never hear the difference if you didn't hear both of the Uchiha brothers' voices often.

"You left him on your own will, disappeared from radar for something more over a year, showed up clearly changed and with a man that you know perfectly well no Uchiha… accepts. And if that isn't enough, the fact that you don't even say his name, much less thinks it, clarifies that you can't exactly be called an animal from within." He finished and saw by the look in her eyes that she was attempted to glare at him.

Sakura wanted to huff. She thought that he wouldn't notice that she refused to say his little brother's name.

She shouldn't have assumed as much. Itachi was smart, a genius even. Both the brothers were, and someone as Itachi, who has a sharp eye at everyone he meets could easily figure out that they're either hiding something or there was something wrong, had easily realized such a immense thing like that.

"How observant of you," She played it cool. If there was something she learned from her husband was to play it cool at all cost. Wasn't it that what he was partially famous for?

"But believe me as I say that I will not harm your territory, Itachi."

'_Just only one particular animal from within that is your brother.__'_ She mentally added.

"And please stop calling me 'Miss Sakura'. Either it's my first name or nothing. We both know that you refuse to call me an Uchiha as much as I refuse to say _his_ name, because you do not want or accept to see me as one. And we both know that I'm not a Miss either."

There came a ghost of a grin on Itachi's face as he concluded that he wasn't the only observant around here.

There was only one twirl for all the ladies to be made before the Royal Waltz was over.

He did so slowly, making her turn about by his own hand, and instead of stopping her mid-step like all the other couples were doing, he lightly pulled Sakura back to him.

And he dipped her.

That wasn't a part of the Waltz, that wasn't even the proper way to end the dance and nobody else did it, but he did.

They were the only ones like that; Sakura dipped low, and if it weren't for Itachi's strong steady grip, she knew that she would be flat on her back on the ground by now.

But instead she hung there, he didn't pull her upright immediately like at a normal dip one would do.

She stared up with slightly wide eyes into his onyx orbs, his face so close, his bangs tickling her cheek and their breaths mingled in the little space between them.

"As you wish," He talked low, whispering even, and replying to her last comment. "Sakura."

The said woman blinked up at him, suppressing a shudder that was most definitely going to run over her spine by the way his tone that whispered -more like breathed out- her first name.

After a long stare in each other's eyes -at least it felt long- he gently brought her back up to let her stand on her own two -slightly wobbling- feet without breaking their connection of eye searching in the progress.

She knew - they both knew that every pair of curious eyes were looking at them.

Emerald hues blinked twice this time, swallowing with that. She was the first one that got out of her hypnoses that Itachi had set on. She took a step back from the elder Uchiha, mumbled an incoherent thank you and moved past him.

All other guests began to move around, mingling, gossiping, whispering and talking at what had just occurred.

The former Haruno needed a breath. Some fresh air would do, just something to make her head clear.

"Here." Came soft voice behind her when she returned to the spot she was standing before Itachi had asked to dance with her.

She turned and found a woman as tall as herself stand there with a glass of some liquid in her out stretched right hand.

And it wasn't just any woman. It was a Hyuuga. Hyuuga Hinata.

Her black kimono with impossibly long sleeves fit her figure perfectly. The cloth didn't reach the ground so she would step on her own clothing and fall, but was long enough to almost hide her feet.

Sakura knew there were some fancy heels below that kimono.

"You feel much better when you drink this." The Hyuuga said, her voice not louder than a gush of wind. She held the glass higher for Sakura to take.

"What is it?" Emerald eyes stared at the drink, seeing if she could place what it exactly is.

"Trust me." A smile of reassuring.

Sakura took the glass and took, not a small sip, but a gulp of it's content. She grinned, was about to laugh even but held herself.

It was ice cold water. And it went down good.

Within 3 rather big other gulps, the glass was empty and Sakura did feel a hell of a lot better.

"It's fresh air liquefied." Hinata told her, returning the amusement equally.

"But… how did you know-"

"That you needed it?" Hinata finished for her chuckling. "If I were you I would've needed it too after just now." She glanced at the dance floor.

"Hyuuga Hinata." She gave her hand again, this time for the other woman to shake. "And although we have met each other at the entrance, I wanted to introduce myself to you properly and privately."

"Uchiha Sakura." The pink haired shook the other female's hand.

"Your name has made its own reputation by now, Mrs. Uchiha."

"It has? How so? And please, just Sakura, Miss. Hyuuga."

"Being the daughter of Senju Tsunade and the future heiress of the Senju clan is a reputation in itself. Your history is suddenly known to every noble and everyone in the industry associated with Japan and some of China. The baby who was shipped to America but didn't end up at the place where needed to be. The young woman who lived for twenty-one years in impoverishment and was working as a maid to survive in this world, without having the knowledge that she's a millionaire. Married to one of the famous Uchiha brothers a few short months after he got humiliated by his previous fiancée at the altar. You left him shortly, too, and not long later, your history bottled up"

She paused and flicked her lavender eyes to the other guests for a second around, who weren't paying attention to the two women at all.

"A year has passed, you find yourself back into public's eye and then the scandal at the Uchiha residence happen. Yup," She nodded, "You have a reputation of yourself. I know for certain that almost all the people you see here know about you. And if some didn't, they do now. Oh, and if you please do yourself, call me Hinata." She finished with a side ways smile.

"Had my history peaked your interest that much that you settled in with getting my acquaintance personally?" Sakura inquired with a coy arrogant grin.

She actually liked the fact that she was known.

Hinata laughed softly at her proud tone and the smile that came with it. "I wanted to meet you for a while. Even if I hadn't chosen to see you now tonight, we would be forced to learn each other's name and faces sooner or later." She heaved the glass to her lips, her impossibly long sleeves of her kimono followed the movements of her arms, and she took a small sip.

"Oh yeah?" Sakura questioned. "How so?"

"We're the heirs of one of the greatest clans of Japan. Our meeting is bound to come."

Sakura wanted to slap her forehead. _Duh_, Hinata was the heiress of the Hyuuga clan.

The dark haired female nodded. "How do you think all our parents know each other?"

Sakura had to stop and think about that for a moment. Miss Hyuuga was right, her mother did know Hiashi, that much she knew, and the Uchihas too. But Sakura expected that just because she was befriended with Mikoto that she met the both of them. She had never really wondered why her blond mother knew Hyuuga Hiashi, the Uchihas, or even Kiki's family. Or did it ever occurred to her to ask.

She had other things in mind, she supposed.

"Our parents are all quite the same age, just like us heirs. It's kind of a cycle. And it's tradition, so they have to stick to it." Hinata explained when she saw the pink haired puzzled look.

Sakura's face twisted in confusion again. "What tradition?"

Hinata stole a glance of the guest with a small smile before she proceeded.

"You see, it had started a couple of centuries ago, when all the four richest clans were still all in Japan. Senju and Hyuuga was one of them but the others were Namikaze and Uchiha."

Sakura nodded at Hinata when she halted a moment, showing her that she was still following.

"Senju and Uchiha were powerful clans, war between the two were almost unavoidable. Hyuuga joined the Senju and Namikaze with the Uchiha. After several decades of fighting and almost creating a severe war, they got tired and decided for peace. All the four clans had agreed to gave one person of each clan the control, responsibility and security of his people, to him. That person was the head of the clan. The heir."

She took a breath.

"Each clan had chosen their own heir and it was said, so there wouldn't be any threads nor trouble, the first born of the head of the clan, will be the next heir. There was a stern age that the rulers should have at least one child, and also for that child's children and so on. That's why each of our parents are almost the same of age. And it's also tradition that each new generations of heirs are prevailed to meet. Whether they met briefly or became friends didn't matter. All of the clans should know each other's ruler. Now there are more than four originally powerful clans in Japan, Tatiana being one of them."

"Oh, well… that explains a lot." Sakura told her, most of the question marks out of her eyes. "But, you said that the first born is the heir of the clan, right?"

Hinata confirmed with a slow blink.

"Then how come did Uchiha Fagaku's second son became the heir?"

The two women looked both to all of the guests now, trying to catch a glimpse of the said ones. After seeing no one of them even near, -too many guest around- they continued.

"Well, I don't know the specifics, but Uchiha Itachi was always an off one. He didn't have many friends, not that he needed them, is a genius in itself and wanted to have a business of his own. He declined everything from the clan. He didn't want their money or help, and as time passed, he became a millionaire himself. Rumor has it that he even wanted to leave the clan and everyone in it forever. He doesn't go well with his farther at all, and it was said that he did love his mother, but she wasn't the reason why Itachi stayed in contact with his clan members."

Sakura waited for Hinata to go on but it seemed like she paused, once again, for effect.

"Then… why did he?"

Hinata switched her gaze from Sakura's eyes to the people again, seeing nobody important at all, she looked back and began to grin slightly, if not very lightly.

"For his little brother."

"Eh?" Sakura asked, shocked actually.

Hinata nodded her head once. "Even during childhood the two seemed to have some sort of rivalry going on, but Sasuke was the only person Itachi was close to, and maybe, could I dare say it, Itachi was his true self around him. Unlike before his father, where he had to put on a face of perfection. Of course, one must understand that in time, it will be tiring if you had to do that practically your entire childhood. So Itachi wanted to leave. But his love for his little brother held him."

"He didn't sound like his brother was as precious to him as you claim he does. In fact, his name seemed far more important than his sibling."

Hinata smiled knowingly. "Remember, Uchiha? Incapable in revealing feelings what-so-ever. For them showing feelings means that you're vulnerable, and if you're vulnerable you're weak. And to be weak in the Uchiha clan is forbidden. Or so that's how their hierarchy is. You and I both know that they refuse to be weak for anyone. Even to their own. Hence the stoic and impassiveness that rules in between them."

Sakura knew as sure as the sky was blue that Hinata was one hundred percent correct. That Uchihas were like that was evidence enough. Not only did she knew that they were stoic, emotionally -ahem, retarded- impassive, stern and stiff, but they were as hell proud of it.

Fagaku, Sasuke, Itachi and even Mikoto had proved so. She didn't need, wanted to or ever will, meet the rest of the clan to see if they were exactly like that. If the head ruler and its heir were so, then how would the others be?

Her inner self thought of strangling each and every one of them with her bare hands if it was so.

"Yes, that's true." Sakura heavily agreed. "But that still doesn't explain as to why Itachi defends the Uchiha name if he was so willingly to give it up something about a decade ago."

Hinata closed her lavender eyes for a second and then reopened them. "As close to giving all up he may have come, Uchiha is still _his _name and that of his brother and mother and the rest of his clan. He probably defended his mother and brother, dubbing it in 'harming the Uchiha name'. He was merely on guard."

"That's what they always are, on guard that is." Sakura grumbled irritated.

"And that's what they'll be, and will always trained to be." Hinata replied with a soft but small smile.

"Well I don't know if they know it, but they're pissing people off with that attitude. Even if I slightly, just a little bit, like Itachi's character, since he's… a tad different than the others, he still managed to get under my skin during that dance." Sakura snorted angrily.

"You seemed very calm during it. One could never tell." Hinata replied her softly.

"Yeah, well, that's because I've learned that you should keep calm at all times and think." She answered back with a slight frown on her beautiful face.

Hinata looked at her and tried to hide her giggle. "A very wise person indeed who taught you that."

Sakura refused to give in that she found _him_ wise, as she took his example while dancing with his older brother to keep her temper in check and keep cool. Instead she stuck to the thought that it was her mother who learned her that fact, which was, actually, true. But it were not her actions and words that she copied while being with Itachi. Rather that other hateful person she now wonders why in God's name she was actually thinking about him.

-

-

-

* * *

Kiki had decided this very moment that he should get at least something to eat for Sakura as she was hungry.

She protested, like he would've thought, but he was persistent and he played his part as gentleman perfectly.

"No, no, you just stay here." He interrupted her gently, already stepping into the direction of the buffet she spotted. "Wait here, I'll take something for you, I insist."

He didn't gave her the chance to say anything for he had already turned and left her. By the silence of her direction and not hearing his name being called once, he supposed that she accepted that he went to find her some food.

He walked to the little buffet Sakura mentioned that she saw and his eyes fell on all sorts of delicious goods.

Kiki looked up at the long table with tasteful snacks. There were some guest looking all over the food with small white plates in their hands. Either they were chit chatting with each other or they were peeking at the eatable stuff.

He maybe seemed that he was looking at the snacks in silence also, but actually he was quite on guard from the moment he left Sakura's side.

He felt like he was swimming in a tank full of hungry piranhas and that he should be careful for one in particular.

Uchiha.

It isn't like he would do something in the open right now, because they both respect the Hyuuga party, but one eye contact to one another is enough to bring a tremendous hatred tension that any guest near them could feel. That would bring gossip and could lead to a scandal which would ruin the Hyuuga's good name.

No. He rather avoid him and anyone close in his circle all together then take that risk.

And if Uchiha is smart, something that Kiki reluctantly admit that he is, he would avoid them too.

So he was sure to being purely on guard because someone caught his eye.

Right across of him was one of Sakura's friends, seemingly to enjoy herself. Although, she was not the one why Kiki inwardly tensed.

It was the one she was talking to that got him like that.

It was a Hyuuga. One of Uchiha's friends to be exact.

He sharpened his hearing to eavesdrop. It was rude and unacceptable, but he was human and he was curious.

The Hyuuga's voice was completely avoid of emotions but it still held a deep tone. "Hinosyuri Tenten." He stated when their eyes met.

"Hyuuga Neji. Long time that I haven't seen you around." Tenten tried to talk as seriously as the man before her and actually, she succeeded quite well.

"Indeed. Six years has passed. The last time I saw you, you were then the newbie who was just working for Senju Tsunade a little three years. You didn't knew more than that corner of Senju's office in Tokyo back then." Neji slowly let his lavender Hyuuga trade eyes shamelessly look her up and down.

She had changed alright. Changed a lot.

"Yup," Tenten said calmly. "Six years ago when you were training mentally and physically to become stronger and catch your uncle's eye. Instead of staying in that shadowed branch, the 'cursed' branch as you would call it." She shot back just as hard. "It seems that you have knocked yourself high. Practically being Hiashi's left hand and the heiress' guardian."

Neji allowed a smirk to play in the corner of his lips. "Naturally. I will not permit myself to stay in that shadowed part of the clan as I know I have more within me than to stay in that cursed part. Hinata's position in this clan could've just also be mine. As of you, if Shizune-san desires to retire you could eventually take her place. You seemed to have changed quite a lot yourself."

"Well, duh, nobody should stay the same after six years. Especially after you were eighteen." Tenten retorted smartly, sending him her smirk.

Neji closed his eyes, crossed his arms before his smoking clad chest and gave his own smirk in return.

Tenten wondered what was so funny for him.

"On second thought, maybe on appearance you have changed but your mouth is equally the same as back then."

The female narrowed her chocolate brown eyes, frowning into an almost glare.

"It's not that I would take all the crap that you were sprouting. God, I hated you so freaking much. You were an arrogant conceited son of a bitch who looked down at everyone who wasn't a noble one. You stood there on your imaginable high horse judging everyone with bullshit over faith, and treated them like they were some filth below your shoes. Like hell that I would accept any of those useless things you stated, unlike those other dumbasses who coward away."

Tenten scowled now, remembering why she sincerely disliked this Hyuuga.

"As for those faith things, my first meeting with Uzumaki Naruto changed that. But you… you were a young female straight from the slums of Japan. Your talking was despicable, it was vulgar and it was rude. You were still walking around like a half man, and your eyes displayed that you wanted to beat anyone up who dared to look at you longer than a second. You knew nothing of that life, despite the fact that you've been working for Senju three years already. What would you expect anybody would do? You didn't knew an authority before you if you saw them."

"Heh," Tenten snorted. "Like you were authority. Like I said, you merely let it all blow to your head. Just because Hiashi was considering to let you get closer to him in more than five feet, you thought you were all that. Well, I got news for you, you weren't and you were only annoying the shit out of people with your wanna-be intimidation."

It was true that they were both young and foolish. Neji was, in fact, an ass and even after meeting the feisty Hinosyuri Tenten, he still kept being an ass. He maybe was of the shadowed branch of the clan, but he was still a Hyuuga. He was still of noble blood and was still fairly rich.

And hell of a lot richer than Tenten back then.

But even if he had the name Hyuuga, had enough money to spent, and was getting with baby steps closer in the good eye of the head of the clan, Tenten wouldn't back down for no one.

At first Neji asked himself why the hell did anybody, especially Senju Tsunade, hire a woman -could still be called a girl then- as an assistant?

She was impossible.

He remembered the day he met her, he came into that office in Tokyo and demanded -not required, he does not require for anything- for where her boss was.

She stopped completely with moving for a moment, and instead of blinking and stammering in fear because of the overpowering aura he managed to have, like he expected, she twitched her eyebrows and sent him one dead glare that he had never received from anybody ever before.

She snorted a whole lot unladylike and asked him what the fuck was his problem and what the hell he wanted.

He couldn't believe that anyone would give him that tone or talk -or act- so disrespectful as she did.

He scowled and demanded, once again, where her commander was.

The little minx scowled just as hard back, scoffed even, and told him that they weren't in an army and nobody commanded her to do shit.

Neji was losing his patients then, and said that if she didn't tell where her supervisor was, then he was going to make sure that she would get fired.

And he was capable of doing it.

Tenten easily retorted that she would tell him no crap and that he could fuck himself. She wasn't threatened at all by him, shot him another street-picked insult, showed him the finger, turned her back and left him.

He had never met someone like her.

He hated her for being such a… Neanderthal, but it was only later that he realized that she was just… strong.

He had to admit that even though she was a feisty unbelievable peasant, she had spunk. It was refreshing.

And truth to be told, he slightly admired that.

She was not a woman that would just let people step on her and that was not something he came across a lot.

Apparently, she still got that trade.

Tenten was way too tomboyish then, even working at Tsunade for a time. He met her when she was still in that phase and he thought that she could've passed as a true boy if she wanted to.

She changed from attire when she traveled the world with Tsunade a year later, but then Neji didn't see her anymore.

Now, six years later, he does.

Her hands were on her hips that Neji didn't even know she had, her black dress hugged her perfectly. It had a round neckline. She wasn't showing much skin, like he could expect, and the dress stopped right a little above her knees, showing smooth legs until, surprisingly, a pair of nice heels were at her feet.

Her hair was up into a ponytail, her long dark brown hair went over her back while strands were at the sides of her face.

It wasn't into two buns like she usually would, but this is a formal party where transformations are necessary.

"I'm not the same person." Neji stated after his little scrutiny.

"I can see that." Tenten said sarcastic. "Now you could have an actual reason to be a bloody prick."

"And you could be a rude bitch in woman's clothes now. I'm impressed, really, that you could manage to actually look good in such a dress and heave yourself on heels." Neji insulted right back. If she would play that way then he could too.

Tenten though couldn't stand it. It was unfair of her, she knew, she wasn't the only one who could piss people off.

She took a step forward, attentively coming into his personal bubble and looked up at the tall man.

"Listen bastard," She hissed at him, "That was six years ago and you have no idea what I can or cannot do." She poked him in the chest. "So don't you dare judge me."

Neji cast his orbs down at her, not lowering to her level at all, knowing that the action would annoy the hell out of her.

"And you are the only one who can?" He asked her. He didn't know for what reason he had began too talk softer, maybe it was because she was so close to him, but he did.

"Of course," She said matter-of-factly. "I'm stating facts."

"How is I having an actual reason to be a bloody prick a fact?"

"Since now you _are_ the left hand of Hiashi, you are somewhat allowed to demand things like you used to do. Not back then when you didn't had no right at all." She poked his chest again and this time Neji was getting irritated that she kept doing that, so he snatched her hand away and held her much smaller one in his with a tight but not painful grip.

He lowered himself this time towards her face, narrowing his pupil less eyes, showing that he was angry.

"Let me remind you," He growled low into her face. "That you are still a second seat assistant and right now, you are in no position to talk to me in that manner."

He could practically hear her grit her teeth, and if he wasn't Hyuuga Neji he would've laughed out loud.

Tenten crunched her nose and set her jaw, being on the brick of revealing some fangs. She really couldn't give a shit at who he had become and for who he's working for. He was still the man she disliked when she was 18 and he didn't change at all.

Except for gaining more height and becoming definitely more handsomer.

Which she will never reveal.

So she just did what she would always do, give a retort back. With a lift of her chin, looking him square in the eyes, she said a typical Tenten characteristic thing; "Bite me, asshole."

She roughly pulled her arm away and turned, walking away from the insufferable man. She made sure that her long ponytail smacked him across the face.

Neji looked at her retrieving back and actually had to keep his jaw on place from falling off as he saw that the dress had no back at all. Automatically revealing soft, flawless looking skin for his gaze. Her ponytail was so long it reached her waist or something.

He smirked. Nope, her mouth and her tough personality didn't change at all. He still liked that woman.

Kiki who was still at the same spot mentally laughed. That the two were so oblivious that they liked each other was completely and utterly laughable.

They really should stop with that self denial and that hate-love thing they have going on. It's just torture for the both of them.

He saw in the corner of his eye the young Hyuuga follow Miss Hinosyuri's footsteps. He wasn't sure if Neji was to go after the brown haired woman or not, but frankly, he couldn't care less.

He had taken some tasteful snacks from the table, looking occupied while he was eavesdropping on the two, and turned to attend his own date of the night.

He met face to face with a baby blue-eyed platinum blond grinning woman.

Kiki set up a stunning smile. "Miss Yamanaka Ino, what a pleasurable surprise to meet you here." He half lied. It was true that it was a surprise, but the pleasurable part not so sincerely.

"Ah, you have left my friend alone, I see." The grin was still upon her face.

"Well yes, I came here for her benefit. She got a little hungry and although I know there will be still a diner tonight, I can't let her starve till then." He kept his smile up to her.

"How thoughtful of you, Mr. Tatiana." She looked to him with mischievousness spelled in her hues.

He was about to ask her why she was gazing at him like that when she went on herself.

"Tell me, Mr. Tatiana," Ino said his name slowly. "What are your plans with little Miss Sakura?"

For the first time since he bumped into the Yamanaka his smile was gone and replaced by a startled look.

"Eh?"

"Yes, you know… do you or do you not have plans to go a little further with Sakura?" Ino held her face smirking, but Kiki could catch the serious undertone in her words.

"I don't know if that is any of your-"

"Ah come on," She broke him. "She's telling me everything anyway. I can keep a secret Mr. Tatiana, just say to me if you do."

"I really shouldn't-"

He was interrupted again this time by the man on stage who was going to ask to make room.

Kiki glanced back to Ino when the man was done and the guest were started to make place, only to find her staring right at him.

Did she look anywhere else at all when the man on stage spoke? Cause it sure didn't seem that way.

Ino raised her eyebrows as of to say; 'Well?'

She was waiting, that much he knew.

"I think that I will be going now," Kiki said slowly, hearing the band begin with the intro of Johan Strauss. "I can't keep Sakura waiting."

"Na-ah." She took hold of his arm when he was about to pass her. "Tell me first."

"I'm sorry but I'm not-"

"I'm not going to let you go unless you tell me."

He really, really, really didn't want to say anything about his future plans with Miss Senju Sakura, but he wanted to dance with her and this was the perfect opportunity. And he wasn't going to say anything because if he did and Sakura finds out, he will completely ruin any chance with her. She will not trust him and he didn't want that.

He tugged at his arm but found out that she was hard to let go.

Hyuuga Hiashi and some partner must've opened the dance already for he could catch glimpses of more couples dancing.

"Miss Yamanaka, let me pass." He said calmly, not one trace of annoyance or so in his voice. He was avoiding making scenes tonight, so he stayed calm.

"Then your way of passage seems simple; just tell me."

Little did Mr. Tatiana know that Ino could be as stubborn as a brick wall if she wanted to. Especially if it could be gossip that is engaged about her best friend and her maybe potential future husband.

She wanted to know. No, better yet, _needed_ to know.

Ino was getting on Kiki's last nerve and he tried to tug his hand away from her again. But to no avail, the platinum blond wasn't going to let him be.

He breathed in to give her a piece of his mind, one that would not attract many attention to them, but halted within mid-movement when he saw something white in the corner of his eye.

Resent to his own lack of concentration and overcame with an unexplainable heavy wave of curiosity, he looked away from Ino's piercing baby blue eyes and switched his gaze over many shoulders to the dance floor.

His date of tonight, the beautiful Sakura herself, was dancing the Royal Waltz with someone that was not him.

She was dancing though, with a tall man he could've easily mistaken for another hateful male.

Her dress flew around the both of them, instantly attracting all of the eyes on them alone. They didn't seem real, even if it would seem that they are quietly talking to each other, they were still like they were just cut from a movie.

Ino looked too when she saw that Kiki was staring at the dance floor too long. She gasped at what her eyes were seeing.

But Kiki and Ino were most definitely not the very only ones who were struck at surprise by this scene…

-

-

-

* * *

"Ah man, the Royal Waltz?" Naruto whined. "Can't they come up with something new? It is always the same shit!"

"Yeah Naruto home dawg! Ya totally rite! This muzac suck like hell! Why don' they play 50 cent or somethin'?" Kiba agreed. "Those tunes are so stuck up!"

"That is because this is a formal party, Naruto and Kiba." Lee responded royally. "This ain't those clubs you always hang around. Besides, no Hyuuga party does ever put on music like that and they always open their parties with the Royal Waltz. It's nothing you didn't know before."

"But now it's getting old." Naruto rolled his eyes. "Oh wait, the waltz _is_ old of itself. Now it's getting lame." He shot back utterly bored.

Two people came on the self created dance floor and Kiba began to grin uncontrollably.

Naruto wasn't paying at all that his friend was creating a face akin to Cherise cat.

"Are ya sure, G?" Kiba asked the blond slowly.

The response he got was merely a lift from an eyebrow.

"Check that out!" He pointed to the dance floor and Naruto followed his index finger.

The lower side of his lips fell hard on the ground as his azure eyes become the size of tennis balls.

The Uzumaki was hit by awe at the sight. It took him a couple of good seconds to get out of that state, but when he did, he was still a little immobile.

"Hinata…" He breathed out.

Her beauty was praised by Naruto with every move she made. Gracefully she walked with her father to the middle of the dance floor and began to dance the Royal Waltz.

He had missed the young sunflower. When he saw her at the entrance earlier that day he couldn't do anything for the fear that her father might suspect something from his side.

But when he laid eyes on her, his heart immediately began to beat several times harder and he _had to_ touch her.

There wasn't a question of wanting, craving or needing. He simply had to.

Period.

She was beautiful there, between her father and younger sister, the light on her was creating a heavenly glow on her skin and forming a halo above her head. She was like a mystical creature he wanted to have all for himself.

He could restrain himself if just barely. He simply smiled at her, a smile that wasn't playful or flirtatious in any way so that nobody -especially her father- wouldn't think something of it, but it still didn't keep the pretty blush from creeping on her cheeks.

He had taken her small hand in his, and placed a feathery light kiss on her knuckles. That was all the touching he needed to keep his inner self tamed, for now.

He looked right back in her lavender eyes that held no pupils at all.

"_Good day, Miss Hyuuga_." He had said it as formally as he was capable of. He wanted to whisper her name, only to make her shudder by the sheer tone of it.

But, of course, he couldn't.

He had to tear his eyes and hand away from hers, even if he wanted to stay so badly, they both knew they couldn't.

He had done the exact same to the younger Miss Hyuuga, kissing her knuckles and all, so that Hiashi would think he greeted all females in the same way.

But his eyes didn't linger as much on Hanabi's as on Hinata's. His hand didn't held their physical connection as long as he had with Hinata.

Those little things were not noticed by Hiashi or Hanabi herself. But they did by Hinata and his best friend, Sasuke.

But there was only so much one could do if everyone was watching. And now, like he did earlier that day, he could only admire her from up far as she danced elegantly with her father in that second-skin fitted black and white kimono of hers.

She wasn't looking up to anyone, barely even to her own father, while Hiashi did look to the many guests around them.

That meant that Naruto had to wipe that drool from his lips and keep those pink hearts away from his hues.

Kiba stared at Naruto with knowing eyes and a huge ass grin on his face. He knew about Naruto's totally uncharacteristic crush for the woman. It had been the little tell tale at Sasuke and Karin's wedding, but he decided to do something absolutely un-Kiba-like himself; he said nothing about it.

But it was, actually, very obvious for every eye to see. The Uzumaki couldn't -and still can't- keep his eyes off of her.

It was, to be honest, hilarious to see Naruto squirm, eager to have her, but couldn't because the woman was out of reach.

And that made the blond go rigid. There was no woman that if he wanted he couldn't get. He was a hundred percent playboy and followed his dick instead of his brains, if he wasn't at the company doing some serious business with Uchiha.

And then came this woman, a Hyuuga no less, out of nowhere and he wanted to have her but she was forbidden because she was the clan's very heiress.

It was kind of sad actually but Kiba didn't fidgeted much over that emotion.

He knew that Naruto would get her one way or another. Once that blond has set his mind on something, he never gives up.

Believe it.

They followed with curious eyes Hinata's dancing form and Kiba looked around him if her cousin was with them. Besides, an ogling Naruto -who is particularly ogling a Hyuuga- and a Neji near is not exactly a good thing.

But he found out that Neji was nowhere to be seen.

Kiba just shrugged that off too. He was amused enough to see his friend fluster like a virgin every time he sees Hyuuga Hinata.

Naruto swallowed when more couples entered the dance floor and he mentally shook his head. Miss Hyuuga is apparently blessed with the gift to set him in trance without breaking a sweat, while he had the curse of being able to get in trance by that goddess.

He really felt like Adam right now, and she was his apple. The forbidden fruit. And he will get a bite of that apple even if the consequences are to be thrown out of that garden of Eden for good.

Either way; it is torturing him.

He looked back at his friend with the red triangle tattoos on his cheeks and saw that he was smirking him down.

"What?" The Uzumaki questioned him.

"Nothin'." He replied back.

Ocean blue eyes narrowed, but he decided that he will think nothing more of it. So, he shrugged his shoulders once and glanced back to the same couples dancing.

A sudden urge to annoy somebody overwhelmed him, and it seemed that he hasn't irritated a person today. With a sharp whip of his head over his right shoulder, he shot out a totally foxy Naruto grin and yelled hyperactively; "Hey teme!" He waved, getting the attention of the called one. "Why won't you take your _gurlfrieeend_ and go dance with her." He snickered.

He knew well enough that he didn't dance this kind of shit, and he never did at a Hyuuga party.

Sasuke threw Naruto a glare but the man didn't even blink. His grin only became wider, flashing Sasuke all of his 32 shiny white teeth.

Karin was quietly at his side. She didn't spoke a single word _to_ Sasuke for the entire night. She didn't mind doing the Royal Waltz. She had done it before with a previous boyfriend -one of the many she had- that she dragged along to other balls of Hyuuga.

She remembered that she bought an Armani suit for him. Leather Italian shoes and every other tiff taff that completed him with daddy's money. Not that he mind though. All the money he makes is for his one and only beautiful princess who deserves in it every way. That was what he said.

She had fun that time. Now as she glanced at the stoic Sasuke, her heart beat faster but she wanted to have fun now too.

While her mind knew that she got fun with Sasuke every day in the bedroom, he did not show such affection in society's eye.

Once an Uchiha, always an Uchiha.

But God, you cannot help but fall in love with them.

"Naruto," He said with his voice deep and dark as leather. "You know that I do not participate in such idiotic activities."

His best friend laughed at him. "Ah, come on Sasuke-teme! Who pushed that stick higher up you ass than it normally is today? This is a party bastard, loosen up." Naruto laughed again. "Although I don't know why I even try. The words 'loosen up' doesn't exist in your vocabulary."

A vein started to twitch at Sasuke temple at Naruto's words.

"Shut up, dipshit. I do not dance that crap, it's completely unnecessary and stupid." He growled back at him.

The Uzumaki smirked sideways but left Sasuke go off easy as he stopped with annoying him.

He looked back to the dance floor and choked on his own spit that same moment.

For him, right now, it seemed like nobody else was on the dance floor, even Hinata became invisible in his eyes, and that was saying a lot considering this is Naruto.

"Uh-oh…" Kiba whispered beside him. Obviously he caught it too.

"Who is going to break the news to him?" Lee that was as bewildered as them and stood standstill stiff like rock, only his lips moved as he whispered too, at the other side of Naruto.

The son of the great Namikaze only moved his head slightly so he could look over his shoulder. The action was done slowly and secretively, like he didn't want to let anyone know he's looking, so he made no sudden suspicious movement.

He stole a glance at Sasuke and Karin, both weren't paying attention to the dancing people at all, so they didn't had even the slightest clue.

He turned his head back forward with the same maneuver as when he looked behind him, tensing even more.

"I'm not going to do it." Naruto refused.

"Wha? Why tha hell not?" Kiba whispered-screamed. Not moving a single muscle.

"Hell no! Do you want Sasuke and I fighting here?" He whispered-sneered back. "Let Lee do it!"

"M-m-me?!" Lee whispered-screeched. "He'll kill me! Face it, Naruto, you're the best choice out of the three of us."

"Why is it always me?" Naruto glared but didn't look at Lee and kept staring in front of him, like they all were doing. "And why there's only the three of us? In this case of scenario you should sent the teme's twin. That other stoic bastard."

"Can't." Lee whispered. "Neji isn't with us and Shikamaru is with his girlfriend somewhere. We're on our own."

"You're his best bud, homie. What's tha worst he could do to ya?" Kiba agreed with Lee on Naruto's other side.

"You have no idea…" Naruto mumbled and sighed. He turned with his body 180 degrees to his right, and saw that Sasuke still didn't notice a thing.

"Um… teme?" Naruto began nervously.

The said man switched his bored-as-hell onyx hues towards the blond and then saw something white flare past Naruto's shoulder.

He instantly rose from the wall he stood against, a stone hard glare on his face as he growled; "With who the _fuck_ is she dancing with?"

Uzumaki gulped and didn't know whether he should actually answer that or not. This was what he afraid of. This was exactly why he didn't want to tell Sasuke that _she_ was dancing out there.

"Your brother…"

Sasuke pushed roughly passed Naruto, bumped his shoulder hard against Kiba on the way, effectively moving him from his way so he could get a closer look on the two.

And yes it was true.

Sakura was dancing with Itachi.

Itachi! Of all people!

Why was Uchiha Itachi -his elder brother, no less- dancing with that… woman?

The tall form of Itachi was practically overshadowing Sakura's smaller one. They were close, too close for Sasuke's liking as he saw that she was talking back to him.

Sasuke eyed Itachi's posture; his right hand was touching her back. Her _naked_ back. He was touching skin, her skin and a lot of him didn't like that fact at all. Itachi's other hand held hers, and she was actually holding back. What the hell?

Now Sasuke did not ever hated his brother. He maybe could have thought that when he was younger and when Itachi was the only one who got his father's praise, but he did not hate him.

Well… he got a feeling very close to hatred for his brother right now.

He did not ever know that Itachi was light on his feet. And this moment, he wished that he would slip and break his leg or neck or something.

_Anything_ so he would get his hand _off_ of her.

They tripled all over the dance floor, just like any other couple there. He twirled her precisely on the perfect moment when everybody twirled the females.

It was a beautiful display of the Royal Waltz. It seemed like some dance instructor has been teaching these people to move exactly on the same time. Nobody went a wrong way, nobody fell out of rhythm. No one moved a second later than the other, including his brother and that female.

And, he couldn't help himself, they were a picturesque scene that attracted every eye to them. Nobody could deny that. Sakura's dress, that was more than gorgeous on her form, held something magical as she twirled and the dress flared up.

Needless to say, they seemed like the princess and the prince charming you could find in any fairytale.

Sasuke calmed himself down, he did not say that he was jealous, which he is not, especially not for Sakura, but he was, let's just say, defending his brother. He didn't need another Uchiha near that vile woman, for she had practically ruined the clan's good name.

Gah, who was he kidding? He rather go up there, pull Itachi away from her and kick his ass back to last week.

"_You__'__re too f__ucking late, Uchiha."_

He remembered her sneering that at him in total rage.

That thought calmed him down a little more if only just a teeny tiny bit.

Even though he hated it as much as hate could come… but…

The tune of Johann Strauss was getting to the end and with that also the dance. The woman were twirled and mid-twirl they were stopped, except one couple. One particular couple.

…but…

Sakura was twirled entirely, being pulled back to Itachi, her body coming against his and then Itachi did the unthinkable. He dipped her.

The motherfucker actually dipped her. His hands were actually all over her body, his face was actually way too close, what the fuck did he actually think he was actually doing?

…but… she was right.

_Too late._

They were staring in each other's eyes and Sasuke exhaled, letting his frustration out.

What was she doing to him? What the _hell_ was Sakura doing to him?

The last thing he saw of his wife and his brother was that they were still in that dipped position, frozen in that state, before he turned away from them.

Naruto, Lee and Kiba looked at Sasuke with curious eyes. Their gazes were half on Sakura and Itachi, and half on the younger Uchiha. There were dying to know what both of them will do next.

Sasuke's eyes were hard and cold, colder than Naruto had ever seen before on him. And let Naruto tell you that he had seen many cold stares of his best friend, but they were all unlike this intense one. Not even when Karin had left his ass at the alter had his eyes shone such iciness that it could be hot, as they do right now.

They were so cold… that they even freaked Naruto out.

Uzumaki Naruto! Uchiha Sasuke freaked Uzumaki Naruto out with a glare alone?

World must be ending.

As Sasuke took his first step, Lee and Kiba immediately moved away, making a clear path for him to take.

The blond didn't move from place. Azure hues serious but not showing in the slightest that he panicked back there.

Quietly as silence itself, Sasuke walked in the direction of his best friend, or so it looked that way, and passed him with a hair's distance between them. Naruto didn't follow him with his eyes, as did Sasuke. He just kept on walking.

He had enough of this party. He had enough of his friends. He had enough of that… woman. But most of all…

He had enough of these feelings.

He walked straight towards the exit, with someone following his heels.

-

-

-

* * *

That had been unexpected, Kiki thought as he saw Uchiha Itachi lift Sakura back on her own two feet.

Kiki had his hands clenched hard at his side. He really didn't like Uchihas. Especially Uchihas around Sakura. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

Damn them all.

He was tempted to go and slaughter all the Uchihas out there. But he was not up for having a massacre on his head.

He didn't like this. Not at all.

Ino, that was still standing beside him, had her jaw slack and her blue eyes wide. He was sure the bottom side of her face would've fallen off if it wasn't stuck there.

"D-did I just see what I think I saw?" She breathed out in complete surprise.

"You just saw what you think that you saw." Kiki answered.

"But I think that what I saw is not possible for what I saw. I think that what I saw was not for real."

"If you think what you saw was not for real, then why is it that what you thought you saw, I saw it too?"

Ino blinked. "Because we both think the same of what we thought seeing."

"You saw it and I saw it too, making it for real." Kiki grew irritated.

"Sakura just…" Ino couldn't finish.

"Yeah." Kiki understood her.

Ino snapped her head back to him. "And you didn't dance with her!" She pointed an accusing finger in his face.

"And whose fault is that?" He glared at her.

"If you had given me just the answer I wanted, then I would've let you go." She glared just as hard back.

"Excuse me, but what I have for future plans isn't any of your business, Miss Yamanaka."

"Sakura _is_ my business." Ino exclaimed.

"But not her-"

"Ino… cut it off." Kiki was interrupted by a bored male voice.

Both the platinum blond and the Tatiana looked behind Ino, finding a man standing there with hair in a high ponytail, the white dress shirt of his smoking out of the black pants and his hands stuffed deep inside his pockets with his eyes closed.

"Shikamaru!" Ino said out loud.

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head, his eyelids not even opening one second. "Geez Ino, couldn't you even be _more_ of a troublesome woman?"

Ino, apparently, grinned sheepishly at him. "Nope, that's exactly why you love me."

Shikamaru sighed again and muttered something as; unfortunately enough that is true, under his breath and opened his eyes this time.

"Leave the man alone already." His voice lacked complete enthusiasm and sounded bored as hell.

Ino switched a dark glance to the tall man beside her, giving him a kind of 'we're-not-finished-yet' look and stepped away from him.

Shikamaru eyed Kiki warily and with a calculating gaze. The first half interested thing Kiki saw the man do since he came.

"Ne, you're Tatiana Kiki right?" Once again his tone held boredom.

"Yes." Tatiana nodded. "And who may you be?"

"Nara Shikamaru."

"Ah, a Nara, eh? I've heard good scientists coming out of that clan that and you guys own that famous park in Japan." Kiki slightly smirked.

"Yeah, well, some of my clan members are like obsessed with deer or something." He shrugged.

"Aren't you one of-"

"Uchiha Sasuke's friends?" The Nara genius ended for him. "Yeah, something akin to that."

Kiki frowned at him."Did you sent her as your spy?" He jerked his head towards Ino.

"What? No!" Shikamaru looked at Kiki as if he was nuts. "That damned woman can't seem to live without gossip so she came to you herself." He looked at Ino who was laughing.

Shikamaru went on. "I really could care less about your quarrel with Uchiha. For me, it makes this troublesome life less boring." He shrugged again and walked away from Tatiana with Ino linked at his arm.

Kiki shook his head incredulously. Those two really are unreal. Weird-ass couple.

-

-

-

* * *

"Sasuke!" The one who followed him yelled.

He didn't stop once he was outside of the Hyuuga residence, where it was deserted and only many limo's were filled in the front garden, which was huge by the way.

"Sasuke!" The one shouted again.

He didn't halted, kept walking, determent to feel a breeze cool his heated over raged senses.

"Sasuke!" A hand on his shoulder wasn't going to him, but it was the fact that it spun him around roughly to face the person that got him to stand still.

He glared hard at Karin who was panting a little bit, mostly because she had to run, on heels, to catch up with him.

"What?" He snapped, honestly surprised that Karin had the strength to turn him around.

"You," She began, shooting him an angry glare with her crimson hues of her own. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"There's nothing wrong with me." He shot back.

"Like hell there isn't!" She raised her voice. "You're acting unbelievable! First at your mother's birthday, then last month at the beach, now here!"

He knew it! He knew it was about her.

"What is your fucking problem with her?!" Karin added, yelling now.

"She isn't my problem." Sasuke began to heave his voice himself. "Tatiana fucking Kiki is my problem!"

Karin snorted. "Kiki is your problem? Kiki?! Come on, Sasuke. Stop freaking shitting yourself! This isn't about Kiki at all!"

Sasuke growled and pressed his nails in his palms. "Of course he's my problem. That asshole came here back again after he impregnated you and ran off with you! How do you think I will react?"

"Screw you, Sasuke! You ain't lying to me! Two times that you saw that pink slut you encountered her, not Kiki. Two times! She fucking kissed you on the lips with her tongue so deep in you, it could've come out of your ass! And what the hell did you do? You kissed her back!" Karin screamed. "You kissed her back! And what was it that you did after? Absolutely nothing! Then later at the beach, you see that bitch again and how do you act? Like a protective jealous boyfriend, that's how you act! You take her away from Kiki and talk privately and I? I'm forgotten shit, that's what I am! I stood there with Kiki looking how you would rather fuck her on the beach than let her go on with Kiki!" She yelled, pointing an accusing finger in his face.

"Admit that you want her!"

"Fuck that, Karin. It isn't true! I did that to piss Kiki off. You don't think that the shit he did to me he would get away with it, do you?!"

"To piss Kiki off? You really think I believe that, Sasuke? You did that to piss Kiki off?! I was standing next to him watching how you and that servant dog stood there. I was the one who was splashed with champagne that _you_ so nicely bring to her on her command after she basically sucked all your intestines out of your mouth, and you said no fucking shit about it. And let's not forget," Karin said sarcastically, pointing her forefinger up like a professor in front of a class. "That scene that just happened after you saw that horrible pink haired whore dance with your brother! Where was Kiki then? Nowhere! But that fucking greenish jealousy was back in your eyes Sasuke! Hell, even my dead blind grandmother saw that you were jealous! Jealous on your brother for _her_, for fucking Sakura!"

Sasuke said nothing. Not a single words left his lips but it didn't stop him from glaring till death to Karin.

"And you suppose that I still follow you like a puppy dog after such display three times Sasuke? After three times?!" She sneered hard at him.

"And I don't know what the hell you're trying to achieve with Sakura but whatever it is, it isn't working! Obviously she doesn't want you, Sasuke! And if _she_ didn't make it clear to you, I will; you're too fucking late, Sasuke! You catch that? Too late!" Karin screamed out of the top of her lungs.

"How many times do I have to tell you. Karin?!" Sasuke hissed at her, shouting himself. "I don't want Sakura!"

"Then why do your actions prove otherwise?!"

"This is enough." Sasuke growled. "This is your own fault! This is what you get from cheating behind my back, getting pregnant no less, reveal that in front of five hundred fucking guests and left me standing like an idiot being humiliated, ashamed by you! Unlike you, Karin, she was there when I was left to pick up the pieces. She was there when I almost became an alcoholic because of you. She was there. Period. And where the hell were you? Opening your legs like a hooker and get fucked in every angle in Orlando by Tatiana Kiki!"

"What?! How dare you turn this shit on me now?!"

"What, you can pull stuff like that unpunished, and I have to explain myself?" Sasuke snapped. "Keep fucking dreaming, Karin."

Karin paused now, letting herself breathe through her nose to calm down. Her voice going softer she said; "Then tell me now and forever," Her eyes softening too.

"Do you or do you not want me in your life?"

Sasuke was quiet for a moment. The wind picked up his bangs as it let some of Karin's red locks fly sensually into her face.

That gush of wind was a strong one that felt a bit chilly, but that was because water was right behind the castle-like mansion.

Just a crescent moon was high in the sky, giving no light at all on her fairly pale flawless skin. One or two stars twinkled here of there but the rest of the universe was all black.

Onyx eyes blinked slowly, it seemed if all rage has gone out of the air and out of their bodies. He looked into her orbs that didn't seem as red as they always were due to the darkness outside.

He breathed in. "Karin…"

There was a pause.

"I do."

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura undid her pink P.J, letting it slip on the ground, not caring anymore.

She let the tip of her toe sink into the bathtub, feeling that it was the utmost perfect temperature. So perfect that her skin crawled by the pleasure of it.

Slowly she let her naked form slip into the bathtub, moaning softly at the feeling of the water around her. She went below the surface for two seconds, so her long pink hair would get entirely wet to come above again.

Her locks stick like rat tails against her cheeks, neck and on parts of her shoulder that was above the water. She let her head fall back and closed her eyes.

Last night was… different. After she and Hinata talked Kiki finally popped out of the middle of nowhere. He had some snacks on a small white plate for her. When she said where he was all the time he said that he was being held back at the buffet table and shrugged it off by changing the subject.

He asked of the dance of her and Itachi. She didn't want to tell much about it; merely told that she wanted to dance and nobody else was with her. Itachi asked her and she accepted. That was all there was to it, and shrugged it off like he did by stuffing her face with the snacks.

Hinata didn't stay much longer, she stated that they'll contact each other up soon and then excused herself and left.

She and Tatiana stayed, laughed and talked together.

Until Kiki asked her to dance on a slow song. She shyly agreed and they went to the dance floor. Snuggling closer into his chest, she ignored all the eyes that she could feel on them and let herself enjoy in the warmth that Kiki had pulled her in.

She absolutely loved it.

Throughout all the dance, nobody said a thing. His head had leaned against her temple because of his height, his breath slowly fanning against her ear, easing her. If they weren't standing, she would've definitely fallen in a peaceful sleep in his arms.

After an hour, Hiashi climbed on stage again and announced that all the guests could take a seat at the set tables far at the south side of the impressively huge hall, to dine.

She, her mother, Shizune, Tenten and Kiki sat together at a table and enjoyed the 5 course meal while they talked and laughed some more.

After 3 more hours, and it was 3.30 in the morning, -the party wasn't officially over till 4- Sakura wanted to go home. And Kiki being her escort, brought her home.

They kissed. Something that began as an innocent chaste kiss grew hungrier after a moment too long.

His tongue swept across hers in agonizing pleasure and his hands roamed her sides. He pressed her against the front door of her villa, making her body press intimately close to his.

If it weren't for a fact that they were outside, against the door of her home, she would've wrapped her legs around his waist in order to get him closer. But even if they weren't, the dress she was wearing wouldn't allow it.

He pulled away from her, panting, and reluctantly from both of the parties, but he had decided a long time ago that he wouldn't push things too fast and she also didn't want to do this.

Yet.

Or outside.

She smiled when she remembered the kiss he gave her on her cheek after that and he had said with that sultry deep voice of his that he was sorry and that he had to go. He would call her maybe later.

He went into his white limousine and the chauffeur drove out of the grounds of her estate.

Sakura sighed when she closed the door behind her.

That was beautiful.

Later afternoon, Ino came by.

She said that she had something serious to tell her about the man she didn't even want to hear its name of. Ino said that after he had seen her and Itachi dance so closely together, Sasuke had literally left the party and everyone in it. Karin had, of course, followed him. Ino also heard from Shikamaru who heard it from Lee who heard it from Kiba who was eavesdropping on a conversation that Naruto and Sasuke were having in his mansion, that right outside the Hyuuga estate, he and Karin got into an enormous argument.

What exactly about is something not even Naruto knows.

Sakura really couldn't give a shit about him. He was having his own life with all the people in it she actually didn't need to see.

And it wasn't if he cared about her anyway, much less think about her, with Karin right there in his life.

-

-

-

* * *

-

**- One Week Later - **

**-**

**

* * *

  
**

Sasuke looked out of the window in his living room, one of the other three he had, but the one that was the mostly used.

It was probably late in the afternoon, something around five judging from the sun that was very low in the sky, but he was not sure.

He sat there in silence, a place where he was most of the week, ever since _that_ night.

That night… it wasn't the worst day of his life, he knew more but… it had hurt.

A lot. Not that he will ever admit it.

He had a small glass of whisky in his left hand on the rocks. He added the ice for two reasons; one being that it was still in the afternoon, which also lead exactly to the second reason why he did it; the melting water will thin the alcohol, if just only a little bit.

Not that it mattered anyway. He had a very high alcohol tolerance and became drunk only after drinking a lot.

There was a quietness around him. Karin wasn't there, somewhere going shopping he guessed. All of his friends were at their own houses. His parents came to visit this morning, but since he didn't hear anything of them for hours, he assumed they left already.

He was just there. Looking out of his window while sipping of his drink and thinking. Making up his mind.

Why was this so difficult for him?

A light touch on his arm startled him almost enough to let his glass slip, but he quickly caught himself.

"Sasuke." The voice made him instantly relax.

"Mother." He answered back after a long while.

Mikoto looked down on her son, who was seated in a single chair while looking outside.

"I thought you and father already left."

Mikoto felt more worry fill her. She knew there was something wrong with him if he calls her so formally.

"Your father and I only fell asleep. I guess we're really getting old if we're falling asleep in the middle of the day." She smiled to ease the moment, but there was not a single lift of a muscle in Sasuke. He kept looking straight forward through the window.

"Sasuke, honey," She called again. He kept quiet again. "What's wrong? I heard this has become your favorite brooding spot for the past week."

He silently damned his maids and butlers.

"Tell me, Sasuke."

He blinked unnoticeably. "There's nothing wrong, mother."

"Honey, there is. Just tell me."

When he stayed silence she proceeded.

"Sweetie," She sighed and played with the backside of his raven locks softly, motherly. Like she was soothing him. "There was a time when you told me all your problems, and we tried to overcome them together."

She went to play with the little hairs on his neck.

"I forgot when you stopped talking to me, Sasuke." Her voice was low, kind of begging.

She turned to walk to the front of him, crunching down to look up in his eyes. To her delight, Sasuke was looking back to her.

Her hand caressed his cheek, something she haven't done for years. "Talk to me, my son."

If that didn't do the trick, then the pleading look in her onyx hues did.

He parted his lips to say something but thought better of it. And then began again.

"Karin and I had a fight at the Hyuuga ball." His voice was flat, monotone, but she didn't mind. She was happy enough that Sasuke was opening up to her.

"I didn't hear anything of it." She said softly.

"It didn't happen inside. It was outside when I left."

Mikoto blinked. "What was the fight about?"

Sasuke broke the eye contact with his mother to look back outside. She was afraid that he would stop talking all together but he continued anyway.

"As much as I hate it, Karin was right." He paused, and Mikoto didn't ask about what exactly she was right of, but knew that Sasuke would define that eventually.

"She had lied and cheated, but one thing she was right." He sighed. "I can't seem to get her out of my mind. Everywhere I go, I look if I see her. Every time I close my eyes, those of hers appear. She's torturing me. She's making me suffer with those damned eyes and that smile." He began to frown now.

"It annoys."

Mikoto still didn't know precisely with who he means.

"To just see… to see her with another man. I can't stand it."

That statement clarified everything. Sakura.

"I deny that I am jealous, and I still do, but truth to be told; I am. I am and everyone with a good pair of eyes could see it and I hate it. I hate myself, I hate that man and I most definitely hate her." He growled. Glaring intently to the sky.

Mikoto had never really seen Sasuke glare at her, but being so close to him now, she was actually thankful that he never did. He was surely capable of doing that death glare Uchihas were famous for.

"I hate her for coming back to Miami. I hate him for coming into my house with her. I hate myself for getting jealous at everything and everyone who touches her. I even hated my own brother for doing so." He snorted angrily.

Images of Itachi dancing the Royal Waltz with her filled Mikoto's head. Yes, she had seen it too. How could anyone miss it?

"But the part I hate the most of all is that Karin is right, I've been told it once a month ago at the beach, but took it lightly. It was when Karin said it that the true meaning hit me hard."

Mikoto asked the question when Sasuke went quiet again. "What had she said?"

"I'm too late. Sakura said it. Karin said it. I'm too late and I hate it."

Mikoto and Sasuke were both silent for quite some time.

After a while he said softly while looking outside; "And I don't even know _why_ I hate it."

Mikoto shook her head in defeat. "Sasuke…" With a gentle hand only a mother could have, she took his face and make him look down to her. "You have a problem indeed, my son."

He didn't blink but tensed at her tone. He absolutely did not like that tone at all.

"You've got a problem but the question is, what are you going to do about it?"

Mikoto braced herself, because she knew that he will not like what she's about to say.

"Because it sounds to me that you have fallen in love with your wife."

-

-

-

* * *

**A/N: Voila! Ok, like I know what you guys were probably thinking. That fight of Sasuke and Karin you guys maybe went like this:**

_**Omfg! Hell yeah! Break up with her! Break up with her! Break up with her! **_

**But when it turned out he didn****'****t****…**** well, let me put it this way; if you guys knew where I lived you probably would come and kill me with your bare hands in some brutal way yourself or you let someone bombard my house, for the hate you had for me.**

**I know. But, when you just read the last part you feel like you won****'****t have to kill me for real****………………**

**Yet.**

**-Oops****…**** spoiler- Hehe****…**** I****'****m teasing ya, teehee!**

**Anyway, how did you guys like the ItaSaku part? I wanted to give them once since you guys got a little taste of them before. I wanted to go for something... Shocking-ish but not too heavy. I think I pulled that off. *Grins***

**I****'****m actually glad that this last part is out. Phew, now the fun can start. **

**So and how did you guys thought the slight NaruHina part? (Talk about them, I screamed, literally screamed, for the manga last week. Never screamed for Naruto that loud ever before!) And the NejiTen parts? I loved the NejixTenten more because they****'****ve got that cool tension hanging around them. I absolutely L.O.V.E hate-love relationships. Or at least, when the begin that way. And the fact that I made Tenten that hard-core woman with that foul mouth towards an arrogant ass like Neji, makes it even more awesome. At least... In my opinion. **

**Let me make some things clear; I****'****m not diving into the ****'****side-relationships****'**** other than the main characters. For me, it****'****s just to make the story a tad more realistic, and cooler for those who support it. But I****'****m not making a full out detailed chapter of the other pairings. If you have a problem with that I give you two choices; either you go and search fics about them or you just read the little fluff moments here in nice silence. Hehe****…**

**I hope I****'****m really pulling it off with this drama fic. And I mean; DRAMA! And I hope you guys enjoyed this supah long chapter. (98 paged of Microsoft Words, guys! 98! That is the longest I****'****ve ever written!) Basically this is saying I****'****m sorry for being this late. I****'****m writing the next chap as you read, so it will definitely not take s long as this one had.**

**Review, review for me please. Comment about any part of this chap and tell me what ya thought!**

**Already thanking and loving those who do!**

**Wish I could sent you guys cars and privet-jets.**

**Piez-out!**

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'_And since you cannot see yourself, so well as by reflection, I, your glass, will modestly discover to yourself, that of yourself which you yet know not of.__'__ - _**William Shakespeare**

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_Stay Tuned for Next Time, Same Site, Same Story _

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	13. Stole

**A/N: Ok, so I am two month or so too late in updating. I'm sorry. I really am. My excuses are simple, first; schoolyear is coming to an end so we're bombard with last minute projects. Second'to write such long chapters as these takes time, while I didn't have a writers block like last time, there were still some blanks here and there that I needed to fill. I am not proud of what came out, this chapter. I find it lame and it lacks a specific something, to which I do not know what, but I didn't want to stall with this chappie any longer than I already have to find out. Furthermore, please don't complain to me of how boring this was, I know, but as my head has planned out, the next chapter will be a lil'more interesting. **

**So enough of the bla bla, yada yada, here I present to you, chapter 13:_ Stole  
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**p.s have you guys seen Sasuke in the anime? OMG *drool* he was so effing delicious I think I diiiiiiieeeeed! I must be in heaven!**

**Disclaimer****: For as long as I shall live, whether that is for 80 more year or till tomorrow, **_**Naruto**_**, or any other brands I've put in here, does not belong to me what-so-ever.**

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'_Love is an irrisistable desire to be irrisistably desired.' – _**Robert Frost**

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Sasuke looked up at his mother with an incredulous look on his face. He kept staring at her, his eyes just a friction wider. Mikoto had to admit, even though Sasuke seemed shocked till the core, this was the longest time, since she arrived here, that he was looking at her.

"No." He stood up from his seat, Mikoto's hand slipped from his cheek as also she went to her normal height. Not that it mattered much anyway; her youngest son was a whole lot taller than her nowadays.

"Sasuke-"

"No." He repeated, halting her from talking any further. "I am not in love with her. I do not even want to see her."

"Yet you can't see her with another either." His mother replied to him softly, trying to calm him down.

But still, he need to come to reality here; he has feelings for that woman.

"Mother, don't go about and exclaim such false assumptions."He growled out at her. He didn't mean to growl like that but he just snapped.

Mikoto blinked slowly and she knew that her boy was panicking, even if he would not admit that to anyone. She stepped closer to him and at the same time, he took one back. Apparently he didn't want her to mother him anymore.

"You need to confront yourself with this, darling. You'll only continue to torment yourself if you don't."

He shook his head no once, like a child would do and stepped back again.

"There's nothing of her going on like that." He began to turn and walk away.

"Sasuke, wait!" Mikoto called out after him. "No-"

But he was already around the corner, taking advantage of his long legs. His mother heard him say just before he was completely gone that he had some business to do that he recently remembered. They both knew that that was a lie and they both knew that he was running away from the truth.

For what was worth, what Sasuke had said to his mother was only half a lie. He did had some business to tend, and he did went to do it, only it wasn't necessary to be done immediately.

When he walked out from Mikoto he hopped into his Audi TT, one of the other five cars he owned, and drove to the company's head building.

The Uchiha crest was huge on the tall complexion. Right there for everyone to see, for everyone to know who they were.

He went up to his office, just in his casual clothes. Usually when he went to the company building he's all in suit. But it was a Sunday, and even though this was a 7-days-a-week busy building, he and Naruto kept it strict, and all the other employees, 5 days a week work. But that didn't count for him today. He was sure that if he stayed in that house of his any longer, he would either go into the mental facility or kill himself.

Neither the first nor the latter choices was something he liked to choose, so he made his escapade to the office. Here he had practically everything. A cough he could lie on, a TV if he's bored, a telephone he could order in if hungry and enough work to keep his mind busy for hours on straight. Enough so he could forget…

_Her_.

No one knew he was here so, most likely he won't be disturbed. And that is exactly what he wanted.

He sat behind his flat computer screen and all sort of files open in front of him. He found a file that was about the numbers of popular rates going on of his company in Japan. These were the numbers that were taken by Tatiana's company.

Immediately his blood rushed harder through his veins. The simple thought of his name got Sasuke boiling. What the fucker was doing now. He could be with… with…

Ah!

They could be fucking each other like rabbits right now. He knew she was enjoying it or else she wouldn't have stayed stuck with Tatiana as long as she has.

That made him wonder… were they really? Was Sakura really having sex with Tatiana Kiyoshi?

He knew Sakura was a virgin a year ago, it didn't have to take a detective to find that out, but that was the thing; she was far from the woman she was a year ago. She could've been deflowered by some guy in meantime wherever the hell she was. Or maybe… Tatiana had taken her innocence and kept corrupting her hour after hour in a bed.

That made Sasuke sneer out loud and almost rip the file into thousand pieces.

He would kill that dickhead with his own two hands if he found out that he had as much as stuck anything into her and taint her pureness.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes into slits to some spot on the wall.

This was unbelievable! One file! One simple file got his thoughts to wander back to that woman and made him almost shake with rage.

He lifted that single file and threw it over his shoulder, careless to where it fell.

He worked through many more papers, hours passing him without knowing and, as he finally took time to look up, he noticed that it was pitch black in the sky. The other building's light were the only things sparking in Miami's skyline.

It was something after 10 and he wasn't tired at all. If not, he could work another hour or so.

He opened three more files and the second one caught his eye. It was a chart of numbers of how many income this company difference is of Itachi's rising company.

He was too late in controlling himself when his fingers clenched around the file hard, crumbling the paper.

Itachi… that betraying brother of him who dared to dance with Sakura in front of everybody. Where he had touched Sakura's bare skin. Where he was talking to her. Where her body was too close to his!

It sickened Sasuke what Itachi did. It sickened Sasuke that Itachi had the guts to-

Sasuke stopped thinking all together.

He had enough. He had enough of about that woman. He had enough of feeling all this crap about her.

In so much anger that he could barely muster in himself, he shut down his computer, turned off the lights and closed the door of his office. Out of his head building and into his car.

He drove to the only person who could let him forget about anything.

The butler opened the door as soon as he parked his car in the front garden. The ebony haired male said nothing to the man and went to find in which room she was.

"Sasuke!" She sounded startled when he found her in a bedroom. He did not care whose bedroom it was, but was happy that they were alone.

"Wher-" She couldn't finish as Sasuke roughly threw her against the wall.

"Ouch!" She groaned. "Sasuke what the hell?!" She yelled out.

She couldn't go on any more as the tall Uchiha pushed himself into her, and not so softly either. He kissed her hard; teeth on teeth, lips pressed against one another and his tongue diving into her throat without any warning.

His weight was crushing her, he knew it and he couldn't care any less. He grabbed either of her thighs with a fierce grip and lifted her up.

Karin was startled again, but moaned anyhow.

Sasuke let one hand go of her thigh when he knew that her legs were secured around his waist and went to the button blouse she was wearing. He didn't want to waste any time with unbuttoning each and every button, and just pulled it open.

Buttons flew everywhere and he broke her pink bra with sheer force.

She gasped at his actions but didn't say anything. Not that she was capable of doing so anyway; Sasuke's tongue was keeping her mouth quite occupied.

That same hand groped her left breast hard, surely going to make it bruise later. But the hand didn't stay there long. Quickly it flew to the shorts she was sporting and pulled it off of her ass. He broke the thong that she wore easily enough and pushed a pair of fingers into her core without remorse.

And he was not going to show any remorse either. He was coming with a reason and he wanted to forget.

Forget anything. Forget everything. Forget _her_.

Karin liked his actions as she made quick work of his pants and boxers.

He was ready to go and fucked her hard. He screwed her standing against the wall, with lights and television on and all.

Karin was the only one who could make him forget everything he wanted. Not once did he slow down, he made Karin scream his name over and over again. He was going to take her the entire night like a beast; he had the stamina for it, and they both knew it. And now, the determination for him to forget _her_ fueled his stamina level much higher.

He will have Karin ruthless and no sympathy what-so-ever, riding her into one orgasm after the other orgasm, in every stance known, not caring who saw them or who heard them.

Nail-scratches adored his chest, biceps and back. The walls must have heard the name 'Sasuke' that night, countless times.

He trusted hard into her, forgetting whatever the fuck that needed to be forgotten.

Karin stopped counting the orgasms Sasuke gave her after 8 times, and at 6 in the morning, when the first sun lights were detected, and she screamed with her voice as hoarse as it ever could be his name one last time, when he hit her with another climax and the world of her became completely dark with Sasuke still filled in her to the hilt.

The redhead woman was knocked unconscious.

Sasuke fell broken to his side. His body soaking-really soaking wet; his hair dripping sweat as if he just stepped out of a bath, his thighs, along with hers, covered in sticky fluids of them both. At Karin it has gone as far as to run down her thighs towards her knees. His heart had never beaten so hard ever before and he had very much difficulties with controlling his breathing.

He fell in sleep then. Sleeping for almost 24 hours. It was 3 or 4 in the morning when he woke up the next day. The side beside him on the bed was empty, meaning, Sasuke guessed, that in the time of him sleeping Karin woke up and removed herself from the bed.

It seems that he hadn't knocked her into a coma that could have lasted 10 years.

His stomach growled hard as soon as he had opened his eyes. It was way too early for him to eat anything but if he doesn't stand up and go find food then his stomach will most probably eat itself from inside out.

Carefully swinging his legs off the edge of the bed he stood up. The first couple steps were rusty; he felt like he was a 80 year old man. His muscles were incredibly stiff as he rose from the bed.

He found out that he was two rooms away from his own bedroom. What for and why Karin was in here, he exactly didn't know. And frankly, basically didn't care.

He walked out of the room into the dark and quiet halls of his mansion. If Sasuke wouldn't have been Sasuke then he would have freaked out by now. There were too many horror movies recently of people being killed in their own home with situations just like this; walking all alone is such a gigantic house in the dark through many halls.

But he was Uchiha Sasuke. And he didn't scare of anything or anyone.

He was now in the kitchen, switching on the lights. He wasn't often in the kitchen, he had servants for that; Mella and Hotan, but strangely enough, for somebody who is hardly in this part of his home, he knew exactly where everything was.

Opening his huge fridge he took some eggs. It was early, too early to give in into eggs but his stomach was like a beggar, wanting to eat whatever it would get.

He put a fresh pot of coffee brew. Whilst standing behind the stove making his scrambling eggs. He tried to make as less noise as possible. Karin and the few servants who stayed in the house are still very much asleep.

He took his food and his new cup of hot coffee –black; no sugar or milk- to the island in the kitchen, where usually the servants of the house eat, and sit down silently to satisfy his stomach.

It was so early and quiet, the house so avoid of life and sound, it could almost called eerie.

Sasuke held his mind on a halt. He didn't want to think of anyone, he didn't want to think at all. Period. Unlike usual, when he let his brain work on 100 percent from the moment he woke up. But not today. Not this morning. He kept his full attention on his breakfast alone.

He thought of how yellow the scrambled eggs looked. Or if you can call it rather orange? Or a vague sick mix of yellow slash orange? Or how black coffee really is. And that he liked it that way, as pure black as it could get. But, he thought, in reality coffee can't be really the color black but actually dark brown.

Things like that, so on and so fort.

When all food was gone and he even washed the dishes, the first strays of sunlight came through the kitchen window right onto his eyes; instantly making them narrow.

He turned around, going back to his bedroom so he could lie back down. He wasn't a person who would stay longer on bed than necessary but it was too early to do anything besides reading a book while lying on bed.

But… he couldn't. Well, he could, but not right now. Not when he saw Karin leaning against the frame of the door, her arms crossed and her face, surprisingly impassive.

Once again, Sasuke being Sasuke didn't show anything and stayed silent. He didn't ask nor gave out that he was wondering what she was doing awake at this hour and down here. He didn't ask nor gave out that he wanted to know how she knew that _he_ was awake and down here. Neither did he asked nor gave out in as to why she was looking at him so emotionlessly.

Karin was not a person that stayed expressionless. Or as quiet as she was now.

Shockingly, it was the Uchiha that broke the silence and through the sudden tenseness.

"What are you doing up this early?"

A noticeable second passed.

"I could ask you the same question." Her voice was flat. Not what he was accustomed to hear.

Another noticeable second passed.

"I simply woke up."

"After sleeping for almost twenty-four hours, I bet." Her remark back was bitter. Even he could taste it.

"I answered your question, I see to it that you answer mine."

Yet, another noticeable second.

"The smell of your breakfast woke me up."

'_Bullshit.'_ "Is that the best you could come up with?"

Karin blinked, stayed quiet. Another second.

The red haired nods. "Ok, what about this; what the hell did yesterday mean?" Her face was grim and bloody serious.

Sasuke, though, didn't want to have this conversation, as he knew exactly where it was heading.

"What are you talking about?" He said disinterested and took a sip of his new cup of black coffee.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." She sneered back. "You walked in the house, found me, ravage me in your way as long as you wanted, with so much as a word or explanation, and you expect me to act like nothing happened?"

Sasuke moved away from where he was and went to walk away. "For God's sake Karin, lower your voice. There are people sleeping."

"Not until you answer my question. Why did you suddenly come up here and pounced me after I didn't even heard a word from you the entire day?"

"I didn't hear you complaining about at the time, Karin." He stated it as if that was his whole meaning of why he did it and that it was the end of this discussion.

Karin knew that tone all too well, but she would not have it. Sasuke couldn't think he could pull things like what happened yesterday off like that and get away with it unquestioned.

"That I didn't complain doesn't mean that-"

"Leave it be, Karin. I do not need to explain it to you. What happened, happened merely because of a whim of mine." He said flatly and without letting Karin say another word he pushed past her to wherever he wanted to go.

Karin looked into the empty quiet kitchen, sighing. Sasuke has been acting strange all week. All since… that party. Sure they had a fight outside of it, but it was not that that he was been so troubled about, she was sure.

Contrary to most people's belief, she wasn't that stupid. She saw what was going on around her at the night of the Hyuuga party and she knew why Sasuke had left it so abruptly.

That woman, Sakura.

The fact that she can make Sasuke change of his cool demeanor in a second irritated Karin, and Sakura has proven that so more than one time. And even if Karin had pointed that out to Sasuke outside of the party, Sasuke was not just about to change. He had chosen for her, for Karin, but still, she knew that after that, Sasuke had… _something_ going on for that pink haired wench.

And she was sure that Sasuke's actions of yesterday were somehow because of that woman. He was so angry when he had sex with her, he was so aggressive and brute, it was as if he wanted to ram all the anger on her some way.

She knew what was going on. Like she thought before, unlike to popular belief, she wasn't that stupid. Especially in not this kind of stuff.

Sasuke was falling for that woman. Badly.

Karin wouldn't have it. Not now, not ever, she would not allow for Sasuke to fall in the palms of that woman's hands. Even if Sasuke had no idea that he already was.

Sasuke was going to be hers forever, and no one was going to take him away from her, even if it was the last thing she did.

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Tenten and Sakura had the most weirdest looks of confusion on their faces ever. Well, Sakura more than Tenten actually.

Ino, on the other hand, grinned proudly.

"What the hell is that?" Sakura inquired, giving a pointing look towards Ino.

"Come on, Sakura you know what it is! Don't be stupid." Ino held the object higher and closer to Sakura's direction, as to both Sakura and Tenten backed a little away.

"I know what it is, but why do I need it?" Sakura switched glances from the thing to Ino's baby blue glowing hues.

"It's for Kiki." She answered like it was obvious.

"What?"Sakura yelled out in disbelief. "Why do Kiki need a… a… _thong_?"

"It's not for Kiki, dimwit, it's for you!" Ino beamed.

"Why do _I_ need a _thong_?" She spat out the word that was so foreign to her. Really why does she need it?

"To wear it on your head." Ino said seriously. "To wear it on your ass, of course, why else?"

"I don't know that's why I am asking you. I don't need a thong… besides they look…"Sakura eyed the skimpy peace of garment that was completely of black lace, with a cute pink ribbon behind. "…uncomfortable." She ended.

"Yeah," Tenten agreed. "Doesn't it ride up your ass?"

"Uncomfortable? Psh, uncomfortable, smorcomfortable." Ino shrugged it off. "You don't even feel like you're wearing it."

"So it feels like you're wearing nothing? Totally nakedness?" Sakura twisted her face into one of disgust. She didn't like the idea of having the feeling like she's nude… down there.

"No, of course you'll feel like you're wearing something, but you won't feel this in your ass." Ino held out the thin line of cloth that serves to be between the cheeks of your butt.

"But why are you presenting this to me anyway, and what has Kiki to do with all this?" Sakura still didn't know why in God's name Ino was grinning at her as if she wanted to let the corners of her lips reach her ears and showing them the lingerie like in some kind of museum.

"Becaaauuuse…" Ino said in a sing-song voice. "This is what you are going to wear when you try to seduce him and have dirty, wild se-"

"Hold it right there!" Sakura yelled out to her. "I am not going to sleep with him."

Ino sighed. "Sakura, Sakura, Sakura. Why are you persistent to not sleep with him?"

"And why are _you_ so persistent to let Sakura sleep with Kiki so much?" Tenten spoke up, also a bit fed up why Ino kept pushing the matter.

Ino blinked, creating big innocent shimmering eyes. Sakura and Tenten could almost see the imagined shining halo of pureness above her head. "Why won't you grant her the pleasure of feeling a glamorous mind blowing orgasm? Don't you want her to be happy?"

"Who says I'm not happy?" Sakura retorted. "And who says that I want to feel an orgasm?"

"Ah come on," Ino looked at her skeptic. "Everybody wants to feel an orgasm."

"But I don't have the need to feel it any time soon."

"Yeah, so quit it with annoying her to sleep with Kiki. It annoys me too." Tenten glared at Ino.

"But-but Kiki is _so_ do-able!" Ino whined.

"Leave it! Besides," Tenten looked at the thong in Ino's hands warily. "How do you get that thing anyway? It's not yours is it?" Sakura and Tenten looked with crunched noses to the undergarment.

"What?" Ino looked a bit nervous. "Of course not, I wouldn't come here and show my own underwear, hehe."

Tenten and Sakura switched glances. "EEEEEEWWWWWW!"

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_Knock, knock, knock._

"Come in." The stern voice of Senju Tsunade echoed through her office. The honey-colored door opened and her daughter, which she has lost for 21 years, came through it.

"You called?" Sakura said in a fake deep manly voice that supposed to act like the butler from 'The Adams Family'.

Tsunade created a small smile on her face, while Shizune, who stood next to the sitting blond, giggled softly. "Yes, in fact I did call you, for some important matters."

Sakura instantly became serious. "Define; 'important matters'."

"There is some business I need you to do for me in a couple of months." Tsunade answered, flipping some papers on her desk. "Is Tenten behind that door?"

Sakura nodded.

"Let her in."

The door opened on its own and Tenten, who apparently heard her invitation clearly, stepped in.

"Eavesdropping, Miss Hinosyuri?" Tsunade asked while raising an eyebrow.

Tenten shrugged. "Not exactly, Tsunade-sama, I was just accompanying Sakura to your office and I happened to overheard the first lines interacting between you two."

"And the other couple of lines that you also heard?" Tsunade inquired.

"Human curiosity." The chocolate brown haired stated what meant to be her explanation why she was standing and listing in.

"Well then I don't need to repeat myself." Tsunade glanced back to the papers on her desk, lifting a pen and started to write something. "Over two months I need to be in Tokyo for a meeting of some fabric that isn't going well. From there on I need to fly over to Berlin to make some new deals for the same fabric that isn't going well." She told them without looking up.

"Yes, and you are telling us that because…?" Sakura wondered.

"I was getting to that." The blond woman with the big breast scribbled something down quickly, what Sakura and Tenten could only guess would be her signature, she looked up. "In that same period of time there is an important meeting here in the US that seemed to be wrongly planned." It was with this that Tsunade looked to her side and glared and the black haired assistant.

She laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of her head. "Hehe, I'm sorry. Instead of planning the meeting a month later after we come back from Berlin, I did it a month earlier when we are still _in_ Berlin."

"So," Tsunade continued after she was ready with glaring at Shizune. "I need you to go to the meeting for me. Sakura, you are the heiress of the Senju clan, which means that one day you need to take over the business I'm doing anyway. It's better that you'll start to learn now. You are a smart woman, I'm sure you'll catch up quickly."

Sakura nodded, smiling for the compliments her mother gave her.

"Tenten will go as your assistant, she has gone to many business trips with me so she'll learn you a thing or two."

"Basically she's doing her job."

"Precisely." Tsunade agreed with her. "So there shouldn't be any problems since that is what she is doing all the time."

Tsunade handed Shizune two files with papers in it. Shizune gave each to Sakura and Tenten.

"This will contain enough information about what there will be discussed about and what you two should be dealing with." Tsunade looked at a paper which seemed to be the exact same as Tenten and Sakura were gazing at.

"This is kind of a lot of information for a meeting, Tsunade-sama. More than what there is usually when you go to meetings such as these." Tenten looked up at her boss with confused chocolate eyes.

"It may seem that way, but in reality it isn't that much. What you see in front of you are merely the conditions of industry, blablabla." Tsunade waved a hand in the air, not really caring.

Shizune gave the sake-addicted a sideways glare. She hated it when Tsunade would shrug off important business like that just because she found them too tiresome. Nevertheless, it was not something she would comment about often because whether Tsunade liked it or not, she did her job well. Therefore, Shizune got nothing to complain about.

Tsunade proceeded. "Sakura, these people who you are going to meet are greedy businessmen who like to rip you off in any way they can. I want you to be alert at all times and make sure you won't fall in their sleazy way of dealing. Wear the right type of color of clothing and tie up your hair."

"All those things are significant?" Sakura asked while raising a brow.

Tenten turned to her. "You are going to see more men than women in these kinds of meeting. And you, as probably the only woman in them, could be considered low. Some of them have morals that goes that women are still in no condition to make good business. So, unlike a man, appearance is everything. Not wearing pantyhose or with your hair down is immediately seen as a woman who cannot be serious in her meaning. So count on that we are going to wear pencil skirts with black heels and white blouses on top." After exclaiming that Tenten's nose crunched up and the look in her eyes became unpleasant.

"Those sexist racist!" Sakura frowned.

"Sexist racist as they are, it is still done in the world of business. As to why Tenten is such of an importance to you. You'll get used to the stares and crap, but that is why you should earn your deserved respect. You are the heiress of Senju clan, and they better see how valuable you are in their world." Tsunade got a stern look on her face, one that had a mix of pride and determination in her eyes.

People respected Senju Tsunade, she is, after her grandfather, the ruler of all the industry they own. Of course there were many other Senjus who were in charge of parts, but all the important dealings went through her blond mother. There was no businessmen in their world who hasn't heard of her name and the great respect that came with it. Tsunade worked for and very much earned that respect she gained and she did little to hide the fact what she had achieved over the years. The stern look in her eyes when she became serious, the straightening of her spine, and the way she seemed to take control of her environment was enough to let anyone who had doubted her greatness leave in awe.

She, as her daughter, wanted to be exactly like her. And no one was going to take that dream away from her. One day, she will be truly recognized as the great business woman and the rightful heir of the Senju clan.

Sakura nodded and she saw that Shizune was smiling down on her. Maybe she saw the flash of awe in Sakura's gleaming emerald eyes when she looked at her mother.

"Great! Then I suppose we have everything for this meeting… only, where will it take place?" Tenten asked nonchalant, not really paying attention.

It was here that Tsunade and Shizune looked at each other then back to the two in front of them. A knowing smile on Tsunade's lips.

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* * *

It was one of those days that Sasuke was in search for something relevant to do and was about to do it, when his friends came and interrupted him. He didn't mind, not anymore at least because it happened frequently. He was already accustomed to the way his friends could pop up out of nowhere without so much as a warning. In fact, he would now save himself the trouble of getting angry, and just hang along with them.

Really, their company wasn't so bad; some of them were annoying, almost all of them actually but he tolerated Neji and Shikamaru. But as before, it was something he was already accustomed to. Sasuke wasn't a social person to begin with, and he wondered why, so many times, how it was that they always hanged out at his place, and not at the others. He didn't liked it, at the very beginning, to have them around, but was forced, by a certain someone who anyone could guess, to loosen up and have a little fun. Sasuke hates when he says that.

With the exceptions of having sex, Sasuke still didn't know the meaning of 'fun'. And wasn't about to find out either.

Naruto, the one who forced him to do practically everything that was against his will, would always grin in the end as if some of the joy he was feeling would wash off on him. Asking if he had fun yet. Sasuke had told him many times that 'it was not going to happen'. But Naruto being Naruto, just pushed him along and wouldn't paid any heed to the protest Sasuke was surely making to whatever 'fun thing' they were about to do. Sasuke hated it when Naruto did that.

But Sasuke could live with the impossible blond as long as the others were with him. Then, most likely, Naruto will go off and mess around with Kiba if Sasuke's no will stay no. It wasn't often that Sasuke gets the satisfactory if Naruto would leave him the hell alone and go off to have fun with someone else, but Sasuke appreciate it now more than before when the rest of his friends come over. But if Naruto comes alone, like at this very moment, there is no escaping him. Sasuke hated it when Naruto annoyed him till no end.

"Ah come _on_ Teme! It's just a party, nothing more!" Naruto whined, sitting in Sasuke's beloved office chair.

"Didn't I tell you before? No." Sasuke looked at the shelves of his small library that was in the back of the mansion. He didn't come much in this part of his house, but he was into a reading fit and it was ages ago since he had last time lifted a book in his hands.

His brother and father had filled this small library he owned, and it was about time he took a look at it.

"But it would be the biggest party in all Miami this year!" Naruto continued, crossing his feet upon Sasuke's desk, like he would usually do.

"That is what you say with every upcoming party, Naruto. And my answer stays no."

"Yeah, but think of other people here, Teme. Karin would love it if she went, and there are our friends who wants to see your stuck up ass, too." Naruto's azure glowing eyes glared at his ebony haired best friend.

"Then bring Karin with you. And I have no desire in seeing them."

Naruto eased his glare and rested with a frown on his face, eyeing his silent friend. "What is it with you lately?" He asked quietly, atmosphere instantly turning serious.

Sasuke ignored Naruto's tone of voice and just continued with what he was doing, not responding.

"There is something with you for the entirety of this month." Naruto said out loud, telling Sasuke that he was more the observer than anyone gives him credit for.

Again, Sasuke chose to ignore him, he really didn't had to explain himself to him. If Naruto didn't like the way he acted, then he was welcome to leave any time.

"Answer me Teme!"

But Sasuke knew first hand that Naruto would not ever leave. In order for Naruto to at least shut the hell up, Sasuke graced him with a reply. "I do not know what you are talking about, Naruto."

The Uzumaki scowled, fighting off, at least this once, the glare from his face. "Screw you Teme, there is going on something with you, I know it."

Sasuke glanced from his book towards his best friend, eyes cold and emotionally impassive. "There is nothing." _'There is.'_ Was his after-thought he refused to admit.

Naruto took his feet off from the desk, sitting up straight. His expression was hard, if not a little bit intimidating. "Tell me the truth Sasuke."

"How many times am I going to say it? There is noth-"

"Don't even start lying to me Sasuke!" Naruto intercepted him rudely, yelling at him in anger now for Sasuke still kept refusing telling him what the fuck was up with him. But that was nothing new. Sasuke never talked to anybody about what he feels, it was up to Naruto to force it out of him.

The Uchiha fisted his hands around the book he was holding and looked away from piercing blue eyes.

"You've been acting strange for the whole month! The others may not have noticed, but hell may freeze over if I've not." He exclaimed in rage. "You have been unusually quiet, and since this is you we're talking about that means you were practically silence all through this month. You've been locking yourself up in either this house, or the office, and even then you come in on an unbelievable hour. And you are-" Naruto abruptly stopped talking, eyes going wide as he looked at Sasuke as if he was seeing him for the very first time.

He blinked once, voice going several tones lower, almost whispering. "You are being this way since… since the Hyuuga party." He could never miss the tightened of grip Sasuke's hands made on the book. "And… you're acting the same way just like when…" Naruto gulped. "Like when Karin left."

Sasuke snapped his head towards Naruto, onyx eyes blazing of hatred.

"This is all about Sakura, isn't it?"

'_Yes_.' "No." Sasuke answered a little too quickly.

"What is going on with you?" Naruto closed on the distance between himself and the ebony haired male. "What is going on with you and Sakura?"

"Nothing." He said tonelessly.

"Cut the crap, Sasuke. And stop saying there is nothing going on, while you and me both know there is something in the matter!"

"Why the fuck should you care?" Sasuke turned, having enough of this conversation already.

"Sasuke stop it there you bastard. Tell me for once what is going on without me beating it the hell out of you. Tell me for only this time what the hell is in your mind, why can't you just say it to me like a normal human being you asshole, just tell m-"

"I love her." Sasuke hissed out.

Naruto had not ever believed that his face could contort in such a shock as he was expressing now. He felt like he was physically slapped across the face by Sasuke himself, and that is not something one could easily imagine.

His mouth opened and gaped at the Uchiha for quite some time, no words that entered his mind that he could slip from his lips. Said lips though, opened and closed like some fish out of water without able to create a word from it.

Did he just hear what he thought he just heard?

Sasuke… "Loves her?" He breathed out, he still couldn't raise his voice louder than a harsh whisper. This couldn't pass through his mind… Sasuke loves _Sakura_… of all people?

Sakura?

Silence passed between them for a long time. Naruto was looking with eyes as wide as dinner plates to Sasuke, while the Uchiha averted his own orbs from him. Suddenly finding the ground very interesting.

Naruto could've seen it coming, he suppose. Sasuke's world has been upside down since Sakura made her first appearance in his own home after a year and had completely changed. But the thing was, Sakura was with Kiki. And Sasuke has ignored them, _her_, for all these time. How, when and where did this happen?

When did Uchiha Sasuke fall in love with… Uchiha Sakura?

The surname of her and the realization of what Sasuke said to him still didn't down on him. This really couldn't be happening.

He swallowed, discovering that his throat was suddenly so dry. He parted his lips, once again, to speak slowly and softly. "What are you…?"

After a quiet second Sasuke replied. "Nothing." Seemingly this word was the most used this day. "I am going to do absolutely nothing about it."

"And what about-" Naruto couldn't even finish as he saw Sasuke turn around and walk towards the desk the blonde was occupying moments ago.

"I need you to sign something." Sasuke said in his usual calm monotone voice. His abrupt change of subject meant that he had overstepped a line that may not be crossed in his meaning.

Feeling that even he stepped over a big line today, Naruto let the whole Sakura thing slip passed onto another time. This was enormous. A bit too enormous to be dealt with now.

Naruto swallowed, again. "Something of importance?" His voice was a little strained, both of them could hear that it was forced.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded shortly, once.

"If I'm not mistaking, next month will be one of the most busiest month throughout the whole year." Naruto continued with the conversation on business, feeling a tad nervous suddenly after what found out about his friend.

Sasuke didn't nod this time but his silence was answer enough for the blond. The upcoming month is the busiest month of the year, but Naruto didn't get a feeling that Sasuke was entirely thinking about business at the moment.

With the lack of having a conversation, -and that was saying a lot since Uzumaki Naruto was in the room- the atmosphere suddenly turned tens. There was an uncomfortable silence, one so unpleasant that even Sasuke didn't like it. And even if he liked quietness more than anything, this one was too harsh for him to handle.

Naruto, who liked sound more than anyone, felt like he broke into a cold sweat. There wasn't a time that he could ever remember that he felt weird with his best friend in such a silence as this one. Usually it was broken within a second, in moments like these, by himself, but for the life of him, he couldn't squeak out a word. Minutes passed by, and still they said nothing.

"Is… there some specific company we should pay attention about this following month?" Naruto broke the silence anyway, even if it took him quite some time to think about something to say.

"No."

"Meetings that we need to travel for?"

"Not that I remember."

Silence again.

Azure hues looked up and to the door that was quart open. "Sasuke… I… I think I forgot something at home…" Couldn't he come up with a better lame excuse than that? "See you later." And without a word from Sasuke's part, Naruto left the room and his friend's mansion.

Don't get him wrong, Naruto wasn't a cowards or something, but talking about love wasn't really his thing. Especially not love of a man towards a woman who he never really wanted in the first place, but now does but the woman doesn't want to have anything to do with him.

Naruto had, for the first time in his life, nothing to say to his friend. Nothing that could help him. He was just as hopeless as Sasuke is right now. He didn't know how to handle the situation if he were in the Uchiha's shoes. Besides, Sasuke was always the smart one. The one who came up with solutions faster than you could say the word. And now that the genius himself was in trouble, he absolutely had no idea in the slightest what to do.

No helping idea for his love-stroked friend.

-

-

-

* * *

Karin always bored herself to death when there was nothing to do. Her best friend, Samui, was out of town with some relatives and now she was basically alone. She had lots of other friends, but they weren't all as fun and real to her as Samui, she mused.

Samui and she would always go with some other fake friends –at least, she found them fake in compare to Samui- to the mall and shop till they dropped. And afterwards hang out at the beach or something. But the disadvantage of being best friends of Samui is that she would always go away to some other destination than stay in Miami.

Having money without a steady relationship going on could make you do things like that, Karin guessed.

And if Samui wasn't with her, Karin would always go and find Sasuke to have some… _fun. _He was so easy to seduce, she thought. Mostly when she wanted to have some, he would want it too. Besides, he was a full hot-blooded young healthy male.

Keyword here: Mostly.

There were days where he was too busy with work, or when he was with his own mismatched pack of friends. Then he had no time for her at all, much less give her some attention to fuck.

Those were days that rarely came though, even if Samui was gone, Sasuke was there. And if they both were not going to give her some of their attention to her, then she'll seek company at one of her many fake friends.

Well, today was a day that Samui wasn't in Miami, and Sasuke was with Naruto somewhere in the mansion. She had fun with Naruto. She wasn't much with Naruto to begin with, but the times when they all hit parties together and all of Sasuke friends were present, Naruto was always the one who made the jokes, the stupid moves and the crack faces. He was the clown of the group and wherever he was, there was laughter.

Of course, she was always clinging to Sasuke, and everywhere where Sasuke was, Naruto automatically was there too. And so, they had laughs with each other once in a while. Actually, she laughed about him, but whatever.

Deciding that there wasn't any possible thing to do other than to go and find the two Siamese twin who were exactly opposite of each other, she walked out of the living room, put out the flat screen TV and walked into one of the many hallways Sasuke's mansion had available.

Crossing paths with some maids and butlers who were cleaning here and there, she walked all the way to the back of the house. Karin found it strange why there were so many maids working day in and day out in this house. The mansion was spotless every day, no small cover of dust lay anywhere, and still the maids and butlers cleaned the rooms and halls daily.

She didn't exactly know where the two were, since they never told her where they were going, but she knew they weren't out of the house, they weren't in Sasuke's bedroom, they weren't in the game room or the theater, so there could only be two options; either they were in one of the two libraries or in the garden. Whichever they were, she needed to take this hallway to the back of the house anyway to get to either of them.

Knowing the two men, Karin assumed that they were in the garden. Sasuke doesn't exactly like to be outside, especially with the is sun blazing out there now in the middle of the day. He rather stay in the clearing where he doesn't has to sweat as a pig just as he stands out there. He avoids being in situations like that as much as he can; he's always standing in shadows or is inside some building. Hence why his skin is so pale. Paler than an usual inhabitant of Miami.

Not that she mind though, she loved Sasuke's skin, especially when it's slick and sweaty.

She softly grinned at the many memories of nights she shared with Uchiha Sasuke. Crimson twinkled with a hint of lust as she walked down the long hall.

She could already see the door that lead to Sasuke's backyard that contained a large swimming pool. She already knew Naruto had most likely forced Sasuke to come out there while he was jumping in the pool like a child.

A huge smile already spread across her face. She actually had to go back upstairs and put on her bikini, now that she thought about it. Besides, it will do well for Sasuke to see her half naked again, then he knows what he will have coming tonight.

"You've been acting strange for the whole month! The others may not have noticed, but hell may freeze over if I've not."

She stopped right there in her tracks, hearing Naruto almost yell that out probably what she guessed in Sasuke's face. She looked to her right to see that the door to the small library was open. The one they usually don't even use. The door wasn't even completely open, just only a quarter of it, enough to glance into but also open enough for the ones inside the hear her.

She didn't know what they were talking about, but her instinct told her not to barge in and ruin their conversation they were having that sounded very interesting.

"You have been unusually quiet, and since this is you we're talking about that means you were practically silence all through this month. You've been locking yourself up in either this house or the office, and even then you come in on an unbelievable hour. And you are-"

Naruto abruptly halted with talking and Karin's mind immediately switched into serious mode.

Sasuke had been weird lately. He really was quiet all the time but, hey, this is Uchiha Sasuke. When was the guy not quiet?

"You are being this way since… since the Hyuuga party."

Karin had to bite her tongue in order for her not to gasp out loud. The Hyuuga party. The Hyuuga party that had been awful from the moment they saw…

And their fight. Their fight all because of…

"And… you're acting the same way just like when…" She heard Naruto gulp even standing there outside. "Like when Karin left."

Karin bit her lip till she tasted blood. Everything clicked in her at the same time as Naruto had.

"This is all about _Sakura_, isn't it?"

She knew it. The sound of her name alone made Karin cringe. Cringe of many things. Of disgust, hate and even…

"No." Sasuke said that a little too quickly for her taste.

… even jealousy.

"What is going on with you?"

Karin asked herself that too. What was going on with him? What is going on in that mind of his?

She heard footsteps in the room and she tensed. First she thought that it was one of the two men in the room walking out towards the door, but she exhaled in quiet relief when she noticed that it was probably Naruto closing in on Sasuke.

"What is going on with you and Sakura?"

Was there something going on between him and Sakura? Why the hell was Sakura still in the picture? Didn't she want absolutely nothing to do with Sasuke? Wasn't Kiki fucking her ass enough? And what is the problem with Sasuke? Didn't Sasuke take the hint?

"Nothing." He said tonelessly. She didn't believe him.

"Cut the crap, Sasuke. And stop saying there is nothing going on, while you and me both know there is something in the matter!"

Apparently neither did Naruto.

"Why the fuck should you care?"

She could hear that Sasuke didn't even want to talk about this. She knew Sasuke well enough to say that he wanted to avoid this conversation all together, but Naruto wouldn't let him. If Karin was him, she wouldn't let him either.

"Sasuke stop it there you bastard. Tell me for once what is going on without me beating it the hell out of you. Tell me for only this time what the hell is in your mind, why can't you just say it to me like a normal human being you asshole, just tell m-"

Sasuke cut him off, hissing. "I love her."

Karin could've died of heart failure right then and there. She couldn't believe this. She did not. Her mouth hang open and her eyes would've popped out of their sockets if it were possible.

He _loved_ her. For the almost 2 years that Karin has returned, not once, not _once_ had Sasuke said ever again that _he_ loved _her_.

She didn't ask for him to say it either. She just assumed as much, since Sasuke chose her above Sakura. Sasuke chose _her_ above Sakura after Karin returned, Sasuke chose _her_ above Sakura when Sakura returned from her one year disappearance. Sasuke chose _her_ above Sakura right outside the Hyuuga party.

He fucking chose her.

But it is that same Sakura that he loves. That he _admits_ that he loves. And that is worse.

Sakura wasn't made for Sasuke. Sasuke was first of her, Karin, and Kiki is now with that other pink haired witch. She should've stayed well enough away!

She heard Naruto's breath hitch. And there was quite a silence amongst the two males. Karin was sure that Naruto was staring at Sasuke wide-eyed. Pretty much the same what also she would do if she were the blonde haired man.

"What are you…?"

She heard Naruto trail off. But she knew exactly what he was going to say.

Sasuke was silent for a moment. "Nothing." He stated. "I am going to do absolutely nothing about it."

"And what about-" Naruto couldn't proceed any further for she heard Sasuke walk away from him, and the door, towards… the desk, she guessed.

But Karin though did finish that sentence. '_What about me?'_

She knew Naruto thought of it. They all knew the positions they were in. Sasuke was in love with a woman he was not involved with, but he was in love with his wife.

Karin held herself from growling. Haruno Sakura. That bitch stole Sasuke. That bitch _stole_ her man.

Karin flared her nose, still being quiet so the two in the library couldn't hear her. Sakura was not going to steal Sasuke away from her. Sasuke was hers and hers alone and she was going to make sure that Sasuke stays with her forever.

"I need you to sign something." She heard Sasuke say in his usual calm monotone voice.

It was like nothing of the conversation before happened.

Glowing with anger and new determination Karin turned away from the still slightly open door.

Sakura was not ever going to have Uchiha Sasuke for herself. She was going to make sure of that that never will.

With that thought in mind, she stormed off, as quietly as could, towards her room. Long red hair swaying behind her.

-

-

-

* * *

-

**1 week later**

** – **

**

* * *

  
**

_Ring-Ring… Ring-Ring… Ring-Rin-_

"Hello?"

"_Meet me._"

"Excuse me?"

"_I assume there is nothing wrong with your hearing in those past time since the last time I saw you._"

A sigh. "What the hell do you want?"

"_I recall to say that you should meet me._"

"And why should I comply to that?"

"_Because I got something important to talk about._"

"And I care about that… because?"

"_Believe me, you'll be interested in this._"

There was a short silence. "…Speak_._"

"_Meet me at the restaurant Azul tomorrow at noon. Unless you're busy with meeting a certain someone._"

"No." Was the short kill answer.

"_Fine then. Tomorrow noon. Azul. Do not come late._"

Nobody exchanged goodbyes. Like that the phone was cut off from either side.

-

-

-

* * *

His trademark grin was like usual plastered all over his face. His hair, as wild as it always is, sprang in every direction that was possible. It was a tad longer than normally, but, he guessed, he was too lazy to make an appointment with some barber.

Setting one foot out, he quickly flashed his gaze towards his silver Rolex, seeing that, despite going on his own slow rate with dressing, –and that involves playing video games, jump on the bed while playing an invisible guitar with the blaring music and taking an hour or two long shower- he was still on time.

Italian polished black shoes –he rather would've worn his Nikes- below a magically ironed suit covering his body, as he stepped out his shiny silver Mercedes Benz and handed his keys to the familiar guys with the red jackets. The guy took his keys with a joyful jump. He was looking at the silver car with a lustful gaze, one that almost every women would appreciate.

Uzumaki Naruto grinned wider, if possible. He always liked flashy, off-the-hook material, things that had an unimaginable price, things that made the guys look in awe and impressed the women. So he wasn't surprised at all to see the teenage boy ogling his womanizer car, it only fueled his ego.

Rearranging his black tie, he looked up at the name of the restaurant. He let out a small sigh. The busy month has, apparently, started earlier this year. Already had he and Sasuke a business dinner this evening and that's why he made himself up and top presentable today. Coming to the head office in the same suit as yesterday with a stain on his orange-and-black striped tie is one thing, but coming in front of stick-up boring business people while representing your best friend's company is another.

Walking into the restaurant Naruto smiled. The place looked comfortable but still chic. '_Casa Tua,' _he thought. It wasn't an all too fancy restaurant, but according to Sasuke, the one who suggested the place, the food was eat-worthy. And that was saying a lot since Sasuke didn't eat from some random place. He only ate the best.

Walking up to a small sort of reception, he faked a cough when he saw that the woman wasn't especially paying attention, but rather at the magazine in front of her. She looked up though, when she heard him.

"Oh I beg your pardon!" She smiled apologetically, her brown hair in a half knot and half down. "I am so sorry for not noticing you, sir. It isn't particularly busy at this time so I got a little distracted."

Ocean blue eyes crook a little with his smile he shot her. His smile had many charming effects, he mused, as the woman smiled shyly back to him.

"How may I help you, sir?"

"Leave the sir, if you please." He winked quickly. "It makes me feel old."

"Of course." She laughed lightly. "What could I do for you, then?"

"Ah, I'm glad that you asked. I have a lame business meeting here today right about now, and I was just wondering where my table is."

The not-so-bad-looking woman opened the guest book and looked through some pages. "I see here two business meetings. What is the name of the one who made the reservation?"

"My guesses are, Uchiha Sasuke."

A small awed look came into her dark brown eyes before it disappeared again. What the name 'Uchiha' could do to people, Naruto thought.

"Mr. Uchiha has already arrived, I see."

Or the woman had already seen Uchiha Sasuke with her own eyes, and that's why that look crossed her orbs.

"I would've thought as much," Naruto replied.

"Follow me please." The woman smiled friendly at him and walked into the restaurant.

The Uzumaki did what he was told and walked right after her. She brought him to a long, already set, table with only one person sitting at the end of it. The woman pointed the blonde towards the wine card, that was already placed on table, and said that she would return later to take his order if he wanted to drink something.

"I thought I told you to come early." Sasuke's deep casual calm voice rang out to Naruto's ears, and he took a sip of his red wine.

Naruto grinned devious and looked, once again, to his watch. "When was the meeting starting again?"

"Six thirty."

And on the Rolex said: six twenty-two. "I am early." Naruto shrugged, knowing full well that with 'early' Sasuke meant at least six o'clock.

Frowning, the Uchiha decided to say nothing. He should be content, at least, because Naruto arrived, for God's sake, _before_ the meeting started. And, Sasuke sighed in relief, Naruto was dressed decent.

"So, Teme, which company and country are we dealing with?"

"Did you read the file that I gave you two days ago, at all?"

Naruto looked at his friends with a crazy look in his hues. "What? Are you crazy? Since when do I read anything?"

Stopping himself from snapping at his friend and punching him in the face, he closed his eyes and sighed agitated. "This is not the time of jokes, Naruto."

"Dude, chill out."He grinned typically. "Of course I read it. You think I will come here and waste a new suit instead of just wearing the old one if I didn't?"

"Hn." Sasuke sounded. A little satisfied with his answer.

"So, lemme see… what kind of food do they serve here?" Naruto raised the menu card. He had to stifle a laugh when he realized why Sasuke liked this restaurant. Not only was it Italian, -Naruto just preferred Pizza Hut- the kitchen had at least 6 different kinds of tomatoes.

Explained a lot.

It was at least half an hour later that all the expected 12 other guest were at the table with Sasuke and Naruto, and all of them with a nice plate of food in front of them.

"But that woeld be a riep off!" An Italian man with a heavy black moustache exclaimed, waving his right hand that still contained his silver fork –and was eating, a plate of spaghetti- towards a blonde woman who had her hair pulled into a tight formal knot.

"Monsieur, there would be nothin' to rip off from. " The woman with the blond hair replied back, cool as a cucumber and face as cold as ice. "You would have at least quinze pour cent of the sail."

The Italian looked confused for a second, but realized that she was talking about the 15 percent.

"Scusatemi?" The man yelled out again. "I woeld not agree with thies. I want at least…"He thought for a second. "Twanty percent of thu sale."

"Twenty percent? Are you intirely good at your head? I will not go more than seventeen percent." The woman with the heavy French accent and the stoic face retorted.

"Saventeen?" The Italian screeched. Spaghetti flying from his fork every direction, as he slammed his fist on the table. "Absoluutly not. I want twanty, or thu deal ish off!"

"Ah, you European people don't even know how to make business." A pale man tight in suit, apparently from New York, lazily replied. Waving his hand as to shrug the people off.

The Italian man glared at the man who last had the word. "You indespecable Yankee! It ish an Armani suit you're wearing, ragazzo, so you better shut your mouth!"

"Make me, Italian wanna-be Godfather!" The New Yorker shot a death glare back.

"You can go to hell, you fat coffee-addiected!"

"I am not even fat, asshole!"

"You called me whut?"

"You heard me-"

"Callate! Por Dios!" A Spanish man yelled out. The two arguing did became quiet in an instant. "You are behaving like some poor children!" He said out in perfect English.

Sasuke and Naruto were following this fight for an hour already with some other foreign business people, and the two of them tried not to sweat drop at the child-like behavior.

The Uchiha decided to interfere right now. His voice, deep and clear, rang out over the dinner table. Everybody paying attention to what he said. "What about eighteen percent from you," Sasuke's gaze fell on the French woman. "And you give six of the sale back if it is a success."

The Italian man and the French woman glanced at each other.

"And what if the sail isn't a success, Monsieur Uchiha?"

"Then he will pay the eighteen percent back with interest."

"But that is absurd!" The male raised his voice again.

"It is not." Sasuke calmly explained. "The chances of the sale being a success is at least seventy-nine percent, and that is roughly said. The exact percent is higher. This, as you could see, is only a win-win situation for the both of you."

Naruto looked at the man and the woman. He came to notice that for real, when Uchiha Sasuke talked, he was the middle of the center, and everybody respected his plans.

"Fine then." The two said at once and Sasuke nodded. Content that he came, for the millionth time, with a solution.

"But, Mr. Uchiha," A Chinese man said. "We are not out of our own plans."

Sasuke nodded again. "Yes."

Naruto tuned them out from here on. He didn't had exactly want to hear every boring things about the weird business they were having. Heck, he didn't even want to be there. Let alone actually listen and try to understand what was going down.

Looking around the restaurant he found that he rather would've sit outside, where it was nice and cool to chill out.

If only he had a woman to date.

He sighed and then wanted to slab his own forehead. He and dating? That were two words that could not be put in one sentence together unless there was the definite word 'not' in between.

He still couldn't see himself ever settle down with one woman. He was surprised, shocked even, to know that Sasuke could give up his liberty to screw all things standing with a skirt, to marry one woman and have only her for the rest of his life.

He himself was still, he guessed, an immature child.

'_Psh, whatever.'_ He could care less, really. He loved to be this way. To have every woman he could sets eyes on, whenever and wherever. In every position that exist and in every place available.

Oh yes, life this way couldn't be sweeter.

He kind of wanted to have a woman this night, in his bed or any other part of his house, and thought about wooing the woman at the reception to go home with him tonight.

She wasn't ugly, no in fact she was a good fuck worthy. Her hair reached her shoulders, which stood her quite sexy, her eyes held a twinkle and her smile promised devious acts.

He already decided that he would go and seduce her so he could penetrate her tonight to give her the best sex of her life when his thoughts were interrupted.

"Mr. Uzumaki, are you listing?" The Chinese man who began to spoke to Uchiha caught his attention.

"Of course, of course. Forgive me." The blond shot the man a grin. "My thoughts were a little far from the current business. Could you repeat that, if you please?"

Hey, Naruto may act like a dipshit, but he could have his way around these stick-ups whenever he wanted to.

"I said that this following month there will be a meeting of all the Japanese companies involving the sale. Are the records of your company at that meeting too?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke and he just blinked, invisibly nodding.

"Well, yes. What would be the problem about that?"

"According to the files, the Tatiana company is promoting Uchiha's. Will you be there or the one who represent Tatiana himself?"

"We will." Sasuke all but growled back at the Chinese man. Really, he didn't need to hear that name coming up now.

The Chinese man looked to Sasuke again. "Both of you will attend?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke again but this time his friend didn't look back. "I will. There is no need in both of us, as I am sure there isn't much that needs to have two of the Uchiha company."

Half the table nodded in agreement.

Naruto was bored again. Really, he didn't like these kinds of meetings at all. Food and business didn't mix well with each other in his tastes. It made him lose his appetite, and mind you, Naruto loved food.

His azure hues flashed again towards the reception only to see someone tall walk by really quickly. His eyes widen for a second when he had a suspicion who it was.

"Hey Sasuke," He whispered from the side of his lips, but the dark haired man did not pay any heed to his obnoxious friend.

"Sasuke!" He whispered again. No reaction at all.

Naruto gave up then. He knew Sasuke's mind was too far into the business that was being discussed now instead of usually ignoring him just to piss him off.

He knew who he saw, he could recognize that man out of thousands, and he was sure that was that stoic bastard. Deciding to find out, rather than stay here and bore his ass off, he rose and immediately everyone's attention was on him.

"Ladies, gentlemen," He bowed slightly. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back with you all." Without even looking at Sasuke, Naruto turned and walked away from the long table full of guests.

The walk towards the place he last saw him pass by was not that long, but after he turned into a other part of the restaurant he held in his gasp.

Obviously there was another meeting going. And that was what he could've recalled the woman at the reception saying. And he knew he was right when he thought that he saw that stoic bastard.

But it was not for that that Uzumaki Naruto almost gasped. It was because the meeting, apparently, existed of only Hyuugas. Hyuuga Neji was there, Hyuuga Hiashi, but also…

_Hyuuga Hinata. _

Naruto swallowed hard upon seeing Hinata sitting there, smiling shyly but most definitely lovingly. It seemed like she wasn't uttering a word towards the others who were having conversations with each other. Once in a while she took her fork quietly to her mouth to eat the food that was upon her plate, but other than that, she didn't do anything except smiling.

Naruto realized that he could stare at her all day, and she didn't had any clue that he was looking at her all the while. It seemed as if she was even more beautiful when she didn't notice that people was watching.

Suddenly, he felt a hot glare upon himself, and looked, more actually dragged, his gaze away from Hyuuga Hinata, only to find Neji, who sat precisely next to her, frowning hard into his eyes.

Apparently, Neji has discovered Naruto's presence and was telling him with his pupil-less eyes to get his ass out of there.

But Uzumaki was nobody more than Uzumaki, especially seeing that beauty here, didn't obey to his silent command, and took a step forward towards the table where all other sorts Hyuugas were sitting, instead of away from them.

Hiashi was the first one, aside from Neji, of the Hyuugas who saw him coming towards them. His face changed into one of surprise and stayed stuck there.

"Mr. Uzumaki?" Hiashi asked, and Naruto, in reply, nodded. "Mr. Hyuuga."

"Mr. Uzumaki, what a surprise to see you. What brings you here to this side of Miami?" Hiashi inquired.

"Business. We're having a meeting right now. But really, I don't need to hear all that lame yadda-yadda." Upon Naruto's answer the table laughed, except for Neji –who was still glaring at him- and Hinata, who was covered in a pink blush from the moment he arrived there.

"And I saw my good friend Neji over here pass by so I decided to come and greet him." Naruto grinned, showing a nice set of white teeth.

"Oh, how nice of you," Hiashi smiled back at him, totally falling for Naruto's excuse as for why he came here. "It's a pleasure to see you too, Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto's eyes switched on Hinata and their gaze locked. "Believe me," He answered not looking at anyone but her. "The pleasure is all mine."

A red hue covered Hinata's cheeks even more, and it made a proud tingle rise in Naruto's chest.

Hiashi looked forth between his eldest daughter and the Uzumaki. He may be old, and his wife may have passed on quite some time ago, he wasn't blind by the look in each others eyes.

Before, however, Hiashi could open his mouth to comment on that what he saw, Naruto already proceeded. "If I may ask you a question, Mr. Hyuuga, in front of all these ladies and gentlemen, would I anger you?" Really, Naruto thought, he was quite the formal man he never thought he could be.

Hiashi blinked twice, and Neji, still glaring, shook his head shortly, as if saying not to open his mouth any further for he knew what he was about to say.

"I'm sure there couldn't be much that would anger me, Mr. Uzumaki."

"Then may I have the permission to ask your daughter on a date… preferably right now?"

If Neji could, he would've dropped his jaw. Naruto just asked the head of the clan himself if he could date, at this very moment, the heiress of the Hyuuga clan.

Was he _insane_?!

Hiashi, stunned upon hearing Naruto's request, looked at him as if he was delirious. Everybody held their breath and waited in silence for Hiashi's answer. Hinata felt as if she was about to faint any moment. Either because of a heart attack or lack of air.

"You…" Hiashi began. "Asked me if you could have a date with my daughter. At this very moment?" Hiashi's voice was low, it would be inaudible if it weren't so quiet around them.

Hiashi frowned, and Neji immediately knew what the answer would be. Naruto would not be walking out of this restaurant with severe threats hanging from his ass about corrupting his family name and how he even dared to ask such a question in public.

Hyuuga Neji wanted to, unbelievably, grin. Not that he did that though. The devil may grab him if someone ever caught him grinning. No, he was glad that Hiashi would not ever approve of someone like Uzumaki Naruto near the heiress of Hyuuga clan. He had warned the blond. He had said so many times in the past that he should stay the hell awa-

"Fine then."

_WHAT?!_

Did Hiashi just say what he thought he just said? Hiashi… approved?

Even Naruto, who was thinking that Hiashi would disincline his request, was thrown off guard when he had his ok. He was so shocked that he didn't even hear Hinata gasp out loud and swallowed a large amount of air.

Stuttering Naruto asked, "I-I could have a date w-with your daughter?"

Hiashi nodded saying that is what he said. "At this very moment, yes you may."

Still flabbergasted, Naruto looked over to Hinata. The woman was looking down at her plate, her hair failing over her shoulders covering her face. She was absolutely red from blushing.

Unsure how to call for her attention, Naruto decided to keep it formal, at least until they were out of the principal vision of all the Hyuugas.

"Miss Hyuuga…?" His voice croaked a little, more than he wished to.

Hinata didn't look up. She could feel all the lavender eyes of the Hyuugas burn on her, but most of all, she could feel the scorching gaze of ocean blue hues. And that was exactly what had her almost trembling like a kitty in the rain.

Feeling a nudge from her right side, the side where her father sat, she decided to raise her head. "M-Mr. Uzumaki…" Her own voice wasn't louder than a squeak of a mouse, and when she finally decided to look right up to Mr. Uzumaki's eyes, she tried not to squeak again.

This time, he was right in front of her, when he came closer to her she didn't know, and was extending his right calloused hand towards her for her to take. The charming smile of his, one that was mixed of jolly fun and flirtatious mischievousness, played on his lips.

Fighting the urge to pass out right then and there at the smile alone, she took his hand. He helped her raise from her chair and Hinata realized how she forgotten how tall he was from her.

Bowing for the important members of the Hyuuga clan that was sitting at the table, men and women alike -the women wearing an adoring smile- she turned towards her father, bowing respectively for him alone. He smirked up at her and she mouthed 'thank you' for his kindness.

Quickly looking towards her left, to her guardian, brother and technically cousin, she saw a look of confusion, shock and a sort of a glare on his face. The sight was, indeed, priceless. But the look on his face was directed towards the man who just asked her for a date, Uzumaki Naruto.

Stifling a giggle, she just squeezed his shoulder and turned back to the blond man.

"Shall we go and find a table, Miss Hyuuga?"

Smiling for the first time without presenting a blush, she nodded. "Yes… _Naruto_."

-

-

-

* * *

He drove all the way to the other side of Miami just to dine at some freaking restaurant. Well, of course it wasn't the dining particularly that was important here, but it was still a drive.

Seabirds roamed the sky, the sun burning its noon glory, and he was grateful that his air-conditioning was working. Unlike some other drivers he saw with the windows open.

Coming closer and closer to his destination, he searched for a parking spot. He hoped that whatever was going on it better be good or else there was some hell to pay.

Parking close to the restaurant, he stepped out. His attire was casual, in his black pants and white shirt, sleeves rolled up till his elbows. He was dressed enough to enter such a place like this yet seem like he wasn't about to have the formal of formalist meetings.

The restaurant did live up its name, _Azul_. For as far as he could reach there was blue.

Walking in, he saw who needed to see easily enough.

"You know, with or without a hat, you are easily recognized with that hair color of yours." His deep voice rang out from behind her when he neared the table she was sitting.

Spinning around she gasped. "Quit doing that, you startled me!"

He raised a fine eyebrow, but shook his head and took a seat in front of her. "Speak."

"Now, really Kiki. Should you be so harsh?" She reset her huge sunglasses that covered half of her face below the summer hat she wore.

Hazel-brown mixed with forest green eyes narrowed. "Like you are the one to talk, Karin."

"Hey, I'm not the one who came here without even a proper greeting." She protested. Kiki was sure she frowned, but the black sunglasses prevented that from seeing it.

"I am not here to argue with you, Karin. Our days of arguing are done." Kiki waved off a waitress who was just about to come when she saw that the young woman who sat there had a guest.

The red head huffed. "Geez, Kiki, you should really learn to lighten up. I would've guessed that after screwing that woman so long would've left yo-"

"Karin," Kiki warned. "What is it that you needed to talk about."

Even below the glasses, Kiki could see that Karin's face turned serious. She sat upright, her shoulders stiff and she bent forward, closer to Kiki as if she were about to tell some secret. Which, Kiki assumed, was.

"You and I both want something." She stated vaguely.

"And what is it that I want, Karin?"

Karin ignored his question and continued talking in hushed voices. "And that something is hindered by that same something we don't want."

Kiki was getting confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I suggest we come with a plan to keep the thing that we want for ourselves."

What the hell was she talking about? He wanted voice his thoughts but she interrupted him in doing so.

"Sasuke and Sakura."

There were two names that explained everything. What Karin was referring to. What he wanted, and what they needed to do to keep what they wanted for themselves.

Narrowing his eyes, he questioned first. "What do you want to do?"

A ghost of a smirk came on Karin's features. "Clearly both of them should stay far away from each other… but if we don't do something, fast, then most likely, Sasuke will come and claim what is his."

"Sakura is not his."

"They are married." Karin didn't defend him, she stated a fact.

"He never wanted her."

"That does not mean that he will not come for her, now that _does_ want her."

Kiki didn't like this at all. "How do you know that Sasuke will try to come and 'claim' Sakura, as you referred it?"

Karin glared.

"_I love her!"_

"Because he said that he loved her."

Kiki gripped the edge of the table hard. "What were you thinking to do?"

Karin decided to take off her glasses, revealing crimson orbs to Kiki. Orbs, that he didn't see in a long time so near.

"The both of them needs to see that they were never meant to be, which they aren't, but in any case, we are preventing that."

Kiki nodded.

"How much do you want Sakura?"

"Badly."

"And I love Sasuke more than anything. We are preventing them from ever happening." Karin frowned, the determination that was in her eyes since when she heard Sasuke and Naruto talk, shining harder in her hues.

Kiki nodded again. "You are right. And tell me, what were you planning?"

Upon seeing Karin's face, Kiki begin to smirk.

-

-

-

* * *

Karin opened the door to Sasuke's mansion. It seemed that Mr. Uchiha Sasuke has already left the building.

_Yes._

Exactly what she was hoping for. Walking up to the stairs, she saw only a couple of maids and butlers wandering around. This house would really be creepy if there was absolutely nobody home. She only needed to do a couple of things… first was to find the bathroom she and Sasuke shared.

Their bathroom was clean as a whistle, no towel or soapbark was out of place. Opening the bathroom cabin she saw what she was looking for and simply walked out of the bathroom with it.

This was the beginning of each of them.

-

-

-

* * *

**-**

**1 month later**

**-**

**

* * *

  
**

Glaring and looking skeptic at the same time, Sakura looked around. "I cannot believe this!"

Tenten turned towards her, one of her suitcase in her hand, pulling it behind her. "What's there not to believe about?"

"Everything!" Sakura threw her hand through the air, making people who were bustling around them, turn their heads towards the screaming pink-haired lady.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Ah, come on. Don't be such a drama queen."

"I am not a drama queen!" Sakura exclaimed. "Could you really blame me? This is all your fault, if you just protested like I did-"

"And then what?"Tenten cut in. "We're here for business Sakura, not for vacation. So get over yourself."

"But why here? Why here of all places?"

The Hinosyuri stopped in front of the door, stepping out only the see many cabs and cars parked. The sounds of airplanes was loud and hard above and behind them. The sun burned hard on the roofs of all cars, and many tourist already walked around fanning themselves with whatever paper they could find.

A man asked them if they needed a taxi and Tenten nodded. Taking the suitcases of both Sakura and herself, he put them in the car.

The chocolate-brown haired woman grinned at Sakura. "Hey, maybe you could show me where you guys married."

That earned Tenten a punch to her shoulder.

Brooding, Sakura sat in the cab. She can't believe it that the meeting was in freaking _Las_ _Vegas_. Who the hell has business meetings in _Las_ _Vegas_?

Why must it be _Las_ Vegas? The same _Las Vegas_ where she and Sasuke eloped and began their fake marriage. The same _Las Vegas_ where she gave her heart to someone who didn't even love her. The same _Las Vegas_… where by the way her favorite show turned about.

Someone up there _really_ hates her.

"Ah c'mon Sakura," Tenten tried to comfort her. "It isn't that bad. Look at it this way, you can have a hell of a time, meet some new people, see some shows, I heard the one with the tigers kick ass, and we can gamble away Tsunade's money."

"We shouldn't spent money like that. There are people who needs it really hard." Sakura defended. Never forgetting how it was when she was poor herself.

"Ok, ok, you're right." Tenten agreed. "But can we please still see some shows?"

Sakura sighed, still wondering how it was possible for her to live with this woman so long.

The taxi took them all the way to _Marriott_ hotel at the outskirts of Las Vegas. The place was huge. Of course, Tenten suggested to Tsunade that they stayed in _Bellagio_ hotel, but Sakura wouldn't have it. Not after the last time she stayed there.

And everybody knows with who and why she stayed there.

Deciding that it was a better idea to stay in a comfortable, quiet hotel instead in the middle of all the madness, they chose this _Marriott_ hotel for the nights.

"Say, Sakura?" Tenten held in her laughter. "Did we just pass '_The Cherry of Love'_?"

Sakura punched her again. "Quit it! It's not funny."

If Tenten was able to roll over of laughter in the car she would have. "Oh yes it is. 'Cause I'm laughing like crap!" And she proceeded with laughing Sakura out.

It really wasn't something near funny. She didn't even want to think about Sasuke much less bring back some old memories.

She didn't want to come to Las Vegas ever, for that reason. And now she's here for some business.

She only hoped that everything could be over with as quickly as possible and that she didn't have to leave the room much.

"Hey Sakura, let's go and check out the city of Las Vegas." Tenten said excited as soon as she dropped the suitcase on her side of the bed.

Really, they didn't mind sharing one bed. It was a huge king-sized after all.

"No."

"Ah, Sakura! Don't be such a coward!" Putting her hands on her hips, she glared Sakura down.

"I don't even want to be here, let alone '_check out the city of Las Vegas'_." She copied Tenten's voice. Or at least, tried to. It came out really lame.

"You know the meaning 'What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas'?"

"And does the meaning also says something of 'What if you're back in Las Vegas with old memories that haunts you down without you even wanting them and trying very hard to forget them'? Hmm?"

"You are _such_ a coward."Tenten rolled her eyes, opening her suitcase to change out of her traveling clothes.

"I am not, and if you want to go so badly, why don't you just go by yourself?" Sakura plopped down on the bed, sending articles of clothes that was on the bed, fall off of it.

"And I will." Tenten huffed, picked up the said clothes that Sakura dropped.

How Tenten even had to guts to go all alone through a foreign city, Sakura thought, she didn't know. She knew, though, that if Tenten said she would be going alone, then she would, in fact, be going alone. Nothing or nobody was going to stop her from having some good time, despite her friend's protests.

Sakura shrugged. She may go and have a full-blown good time for all she cared. Tenten very well deserved it. And it was a little egoistical of her part, she knew, only she really didn't need to see more of Vegas than she already had and she was tired of flying anyway. Even though it was only a couple of hours.

All she needed was a good sleep, a hot bath, and later some dinner at the hotel's restaurant.

-

-

-

* * *

Sasuke crunched up his nose once he stepped out of the airport. It has been a little over two years that he was here and he wasn't going to come here either soon.

He stepped into his black limo, not for one to step in any other car of his liking and definitely not in some shady cab where God knows who sat in before.

Looking outside while frowning, he thought what Naruto would've said if he was with him.

'_So this is it, huh teme? The place where ya got hitched. Really, –snicker- you should show me the chapel where ya bound ya eternal luuuuuveee! -snicker-' _

He could already see his laughing face now.

Groaning at his own thoughts of his friends, he found that he was really steeping low. He was even imagining what Naruto –of all people- would do if he was with him. He must really be bored.

Passing by all the huge billboards filled with light, he let his mind drift off.

The hotel he checked in was in a quiet area. Perfect for business, married people and rich bitches.

This would be probably the most boring business trip he had ever made, even without Naruto.

-

-

-

* * *

**-**

**2 Days Later**

**-**

**

* * *

  
**

This was a top notch casino, women clad in white fur and big diamond necklaces hung around their neck walked about. Big fat men with greasy grey hair -real or wig- and Cuban cigars at the corner of their mouths walked with said women.

There weren't many people around, only rich snobs and artificial women. This wasn't a place for the 'commoner' player; big bucks were bet here.

It wasn't somewhere where Sasuke would like to be, even if these people were perfect to fit in the circles of his caliber's society. But if his friends weren't evidence enough, he could not go very well along with stuck-ups like these people.

He switched a glance over to his watch, seeing that he was at least half an hour earlier than at the expected time.

He went to the bar, sitting safely away from all the hungry stares of the females and the jealous ones of the males who accompanies them.

"You want something to drink, sugar?" Asked the man, or woman, behind the bar. As cliché as it may sound, he was cleaning the glasses with a white cloth, while smiling sweetly at him.

Sasuke only shook his head no shortly, and sat down carefully. The last thing he wants is to wrinkle his new suit he let made especially for this trip.

"You sure pumpkin? You seem thirsty." The bartender persisted.

Sasuke shook his head again. "It's warm in here, and I could tell that… you're hot."

The bartender smiled sweetly again at his double-meaning line. "Maybe some scotch on the rock would cool you down, sweetie." Muttering under his breath, but with no avail because Sasuke heard him anyway he said, "Hopefully not though."

To get this gay guy off of his back he ordered water. The man shook his head slowly cursing softly to the people of this casino are way to self-centered and egoistical.

As soon as the time came for him to move on to his meeting he went to the special converse room one member had arranged for them.

The meeting was at a long table, which was typical, with at the head a stern looking man who arranged this day.

The table was filled with the same shit it always was; a glass of cold water for each one of them, tasteless coffee and tea in cans with white cups next to it.

Sasuke sat at the second left side of the said stern man. being an Uchiha meant that you'll always sit near the head. Whether you had an important role to the subject or not.

They were 12 people in total, him included. Most here were from Japan, 5 in total. Two were from Beijing, one was from Hawaii, and four from the United States.

But all in all, every one of them lived in America.

"Can ya begin already? I ain't getting it why in the name of Marie-yo we still didn't start this little ol' thing as of yet." A man with a cowboy hat –even with wearing a white suit- asked annoyed. He was clearly Southern, from Texas is Sasuke's memory recalls correctly.

"That is because we are still missing someone." The man sitting at the head of the table told him calmly.

"Yea, someone who obviously ain't gotten their eyes on the time." The other retorted back.

"We shall wait for another ten minutes, if not we will-"

That moment the doors opened and all heads turned to the right side of the converse room.

"I am terribly sorry!"

Sasuke could have chocked on a drink if he was in fact drinking something.

"My assistant lost track of the time and then lost the way of the road and now I am late." Sakura hastened out to speak while walking over to her reserved seat at the discussion table. "Please, please forgive me." She bowed her head towards the head of the table, then bowed shortly to the other around her too, that was, until, her eyes fell on the only familiar in the room.

She bit her tongue from gasping out and set her jaw to prevent from going wide-eyed.

From _all _the people she could have met, at _all_ the places in the world, she met _him_ here? _Here_?

Uchiha Sasuke was not shocked. At least not that you could see from his exterior. No, outside he was _the_ perfect picture of cold, blank stoic-ness, the absolute façade that gives his clan name credit for.

In the interior, however, was a complete other side of this story. He could see that even if she tried, her surprise was visible on her features. He could have seen it coming though, that she would be here. That a Senju would be present. But, to tell the truth, he rather has Tsunade across of his than _her_.

How was he ever going to concentrate with his own wife across of him?

Simple. He was, like always, going to ignore her.

…

Easier said than done.

"Very well." The man at the head said out loud. "Now that every one of us has arrived, I like to open this meeting…"

An hour of talking about export and import between companies went around. Apparently the one who has a company at Hawaii wants a shit of trades that goes from Beijing to Osaka and then back, but Beijing isn't agreeing to such suggestion.

"It is an excellent bargain, you cannot deny that."The Hawaiian woman told the man from Beijing.

"It is not! The full taxes will fall on us! Then I am paying more than I'll regain. You want me bankrupt?"

"The taxes will be parted in each of us."The woman glanced at Sasuke. "Mr. Uchiha, don't you want your company to participate in the advantage of these trades? That is, for your part of your company in Japan."

Sasuke, who was staring –more like forcing himself- at the glass of water in front of him, looked up at the Hawaiian woman. She was definitely not ugly, beautiful actually; with long black hair that she pulled back lazily but still managed to look business-like, glistening brown eyes and tanned skin, she could attract any man to her if she wished do to so. But Sasuke's mind was far from that woman now.

"Yes."He blinked slowly. "But my company is placed in Tokyo and under the surveillance of another company. I do not have records of it at the moment."

"You should be careful not to _neglect _your company." Surprisingly, Sakura let out that comment. It just shot out of her mouth, but even so, she could not help but to emphasis that word.

'_Neglect, just like with me.' _

Onyx hues shot to the pink haired lady across of him. He didn't miss the way she growled the sentence towards him, and the un-added part that was most definitely said in her mind that even he could hear.

Before he could react back to that, the head of the table spoke for him.

"And you, Miss Senju," Sasuke subconsciously wanted to cringe at that name. "You have many companies working under your name, would you want these trades to involve in your own industry too?"

"That won't be necessary. We already have enough trades shipped over from other continents for years. Another is useless."

"Are you sure?" The Hawaiian asked.

"Yes, really."Sakura smiled. "I don't take in another trade just to let you go over a span of couple of months back for my old ones." And here's where emerald orbs looked over to the Uchiha.

'_Unlike some people I know who would do that in a heartbeat.'_

His hand clenched around his glass. She was doing this on purpose.

Like, duh.

She was throwing suggestive comments at him about their past.

"And what would Senju do," He started to ask. "If one trade will drop you? You would replace that as soon as you can, I am sure." Sasuke smirked full out at the outraged look that twisted on Sakura's face.

'_Like you did with Kiki.'_

He, too, could play that game of hers.

'_Calm down, Sakura. Calm down.'_ Said woman told herself upon seeing Sasuke's smug face and that awful retort of his. She needed to stay cool-headed. She could not let her temper get the best of her now.

"Then there is nothing stopping me from getting a new one, as you was sure of."She said back through gritted teeth. "Besides, the old one has left me for other older trades. So why should I hold back?"

"The fact that you are still bound to another."Sasuke snapped, although he snapped coolly. His face showed no emotion except for the small scowl at the corner of his lips and his voice stayed even and calm.

"Bound to another?"Sakura asked incredulously. "That trade let go of me himself! It has no right to object to which trade I chose after."

"Miss Senju?" The head of the table interrupted them, once again beating Sasuke in speaking.

Sakura was openly glaring at Sasuke across the table. "Yes?" She hissed, not taking her eyes off of the Uchiha.

"A-are you ok?" The man stammered. A little nervous for the look upon her face.

"Peachy keen, can't you see?" She let angry orbs switch over to the male, and he flinched in response.

"Um, I think it is getting really late."A man from Osaka cut in, while looking at his watch. He tried to, at least heave the tension that fallen amongst them.

Some others around nodded in agreement. Both Sasuke and Sakura said and did nothing. Uchiha was still busy with carefully watching the woman across of him and his wife had switched her fire spitting eyes at her hands. Refusing to lift her head up. Because she knew who would be the first one she'll see.

"All of you are still here in Las Vegas tomorrow?" The man sitting at the head of the table inquired.

There were nods and 'Yes' thrown through the place.

"Excellent. Then there will be a continue of this meeting tomorrow. Same place, same time. If someone must cancel, let my assistant know. And I hope that by tomorrow everyone has solved their problems of… trades." He looked at Sasuke and the pink haired Senju especially for this.

As soon as they were allowed to leave, Sakura rushed out of there. She could hear the following of another pair of feet, and expected to hear her first name being dropped any moment in a effort to halt her.

But nothing came.

The casino was still bustling with people gambling, drinking and laughing. She, though, wanted nothing more than to step in the car that brought her here and hide in the safety of her hotel room. Far, far, far away from one certain Uchiha Sasuke.

Maybe it was because of all the casino-gangers around her, but she lost the footsteps of the one following her. Which she thanked God for, too. He was the last person she wanted to speak to.

The ride to her hotel was quiet. She enjoyed looking out of the window to the millions of lights that made this city so famous, but she sighed in content relief when they reached the hotel.

Walking to the lobby, she asked if her assistant –Tenten- has returned as of yet, but the answer she got was no.

It didn't matter, she thought, as she walked to the elevator. Now she could take a nice long hot shower, and forget about everything that had happened today.

The elevator 'dinged' and a couple stepped out. They were happily paying attention to each other; the man lacing his fingers through the woman's and kissed their linked hands.

There was only so much fluff from another couple that Sakura could take, and tonight she couldn't take at all.

She quickly went in her purse, rumbling through it to find her phone. Her phone, that she didn't need of it at all at the moment, but she would do pretty much anything to get her attention away from the man and the woman. Because seeing them, with the recent events of earlier tonight, she might get jealous and start going back to her old ways she dropped one year ago.

With the phone in her hand she stepped into the elevator, another woman stepped in with her. And just when the doors were about to close, a man stepped in.

The strong scent of the man's aftershave filled the small space. It was a scent that could make your skin crawl in pleasurable delight and turn your legs into jelly. And Sakura was sure that the other female in the elevator would have the same reaction as herself. However, she didn't look up at neither the man or the woman to see their physical appearance.

From the corner of her eye, she saw, the nearest of her, the feminine legs that ended at a nice pair of 3 inch heels. If that didn't dedicate that that was a woman, then the light puff of Chanel's perfume on her did.

The lift began to go up, and still Sakura played on her phone. They past the first floor when…

"Sakura."

The pink haired woman went rigged. Her fingers froze and eyes went wide, and she was sure her heart didn't beat there for a moment either.

Her gaze was stuck on the mobile phone. Now she could feel the burning eyes on her but she disinclined to look up.

Because she already knew who it was.

Without looking at him she asked, "What are you doing here?" Her voice was strained, forced to stay calm.

"Going up."He stated matter-of-factly.

"Did you stalk me here? I can't believe you did that?"Still focusing on her phone, she started to raise her voice.

"I did not stalk you."His, in the other hand, stayed very much the same. Not the slightest hint of distress in it. "I stay in this accommodation."

With that, Sakura flew her head up, her facial expression not changing; still shocked to the core.

He stood half towards the door and half towards her, leaning against the left side of the elevator, in all his suit-clad glory. His shoulders were straight, like they always were. Straightened by arrogance. He wasn't on his full height because he was against the wall, but that didn't actually made him smaller, not even somewhat.

She could clearly see his strong jaw, his hair with the color that could make a raven to shame, and this side of his high cheekbone that gave him the full masculine aristocratic look.

She was 110 per cent certain that the other woman near her was ogling him from the moment she laid eyes on him.

But aside from all his explicit handsome features that stood out, it was his eyes. The intensity of them and how they bore into hers made her blood halting from circulating.

Sakura wasn't so sure that she could believe what he was saying, but a small part of her made sense that he couldn't have possibly known that she stayed in this hotel too.

Despite his impassive face, Sasuke, too, found this a surprise that she was staying in this exact hotel. A not so very bad surprise. Not at all.

He decided that he would say nothing when he saw her in the lobby, at the reception, -where he had a pleasant view of her back side- and would wait until she was in the elevator where she couldn't go anywhere. He was hoping, though, for them to be alone, since he was already content when she took her phone and had all her attention on it. Then she wouldn't even see him coming until it was too late.

He opted to say her name again when she stayed silent after she figured that he could indeed have a room in this hotel.

Faith, she thought, was a cruel, vile, bitchy thing.

She shot a glare to him that warned him to shut up, what he of course wouldn't comply to.

"Sakura, we need to talk."

"Oh no, no, no."She shook her head. "There is nothing for you and me to talk about. All our talking is done." Besides, those four words never predicted any good to anybody in this world.

"I need you to listen to me, I-"

"Should not make me do anything for you."She was getting pissed off here. Why wasn't the elevator going any faster?

Sasuke was getting annoyed that she wouldn't let him talk out.

"Look, I don't know why you're here but I want you to leave."The elevator stopped in its path up, only to see that it was one floor below the one she needed to be.

The woman who accompanied them and that got every part of their argue, scurried out of there. She didn't want to be in the middle of a lovers' quarrel, or see that fine man in front of her get angry.

When the woman slipped out of the small area, there came a short silence, only be broken by the 'ding' sound of the elevator doors closing.

"I am not going anywhere, Sakura. Not by a long shot."

The elevator stopped once more with the nice sound again and Sakura hopped out.

"It is called stalking and that is illegal. I don't get what you are doing here anyway, Sasuke." She snapped, eyes glowing while she walked through the empty hall to her door with the Uchiha right behind her. "I don't know why you're bothering me. You didn't even wanted to see me until after I came back. It was always Karin. The one who left you for another then miraculously returned because she found out that, after all, she wanted you, and you accepted her with open arms even is she humiliated you practically along the globe and kept you depressed for four months after." She tried to keep her voice down but discovered that she couldn't. Those words were bottled up feelings that she wanted to burst to him a long time ago but didn't had the gal to do it.

She paused for a second and looked into his eyes. The hold he held on her could've scared her if she wasn't this mad.

"You received her… even though you had a wife at home."

Sasuke didn't know what to say to that. The guilt that crept up his gut was unbearable. This was the exact reason why Uchihas were taught to kill emotions.

But right now, in front of Sakura… he couldn't.

He had too many of these sort fights in the last couple of months and he didn't want to hear any more of it. He really didn't know what to say so he settled with hesitantly stating her name; slowly and dripping with uncharacteristically sorrow.

"Don't!" She sneered at him in response. "You had what you wanted afterwards. Karin. She was… in you possession again and I plus Kiki were out of the picture. I returned to Miami and suddenly you want back and talk to what you lost?" She refused to show him any of her tears, for she had shed many enough. He would not see her weak like that. Not again.

"And the guts that you have is out of this world!" She glared daggers at him now, pushing away the hurt feeling she had one moment ago. "Saying you have the right to talk to me to Kiki. You egoistical son of a bitch, you have nothing over me at all! You hated him and you didn't need me as you had made clear, so what, Uchiha Sasuke, please God tell, _WHAT_ is it that you want? Because I believe that not even you know!"

Angry, onyx eyes narrowed dangerous and with a sneer on his face, he took a step forward.

"I have always been selfish, can't you see? I love you!"

The silence that overcome was palpable. Shock was clearly written over her face. Hell, it would have been strange, illogic even, if she had not to. Her heart had stopped, she was certain of that, before it began to beat with a speed of 1000 miles per hour.

She couldn't breathe, yet somehow her lungs weren't crying for air. Her body was statue-still, the only thing that was moving was that erratic beating organ inside of her.

Uchiha Sasuke loves her. He loved her. He said it. Hissed it. Yelled it. Expressed it.

The years that she had known this man, the four years of when she began working under him as a poor invisible maid, to his miserable unimportant wife, till the heiress and the woman she is now, she had always and used to dream about these precise words that just came flying out of his mouth.

As she recalled, she had never said those three words in his face, but she screamed it in her heart every day. Never getting an answer.

Blinking once and swallowing at the same time, she got hold again of reality.

Sasuke loves her. And she…

"I want to divorce, Sasuke."

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**DON'T KILL ME! **

**Please, please do not kill me! I know you guys want to, I hear my ears whistle of all the dead threads that has been thrown to the computer screens. I guess you want to strangle Sakura right now for being such a bitch towards the man that confessed (finally) his love. And you probably think that she's a hypocrite and all, but do understand that she has been awfully hurt by Sasuke, hence my point for a small repetition of her argue. Sasuke's sudden love confession won't heal everything. **

**Either way, the story isn't finished yet, there is still more to come. And mark my word that if you didn't throw a thread and tantrum my way as of yet with this chapter, (hee hee) you sure as hell will with the future chapters. Trust me on that.**

**Mrs. Laury Uchiha, I am hiding my ass for you in particularly.**

**Click on that review button pretty please, and an update may come sooner than you think.**

**Wish I could sent chocolate donuts or strawberry short cakes to you all.**

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'_And I will always love you, no matter what you do, who you are, or what you became.'- _**Me**

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Stay tuned for next time, Same Site, Same Story_

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	14. Love

**A/N: ****It seems that everybody is liking it so far (am I keeping you in anticipation? *wiggles eyebrows*) or either want to kill me for letting this happen, I will inform you that I will be underground for every pitchfork and torches and hang-ropes and swords and guns and snipers and knifes that could be heading my way by the end of this chapter. **

**Especially for this one… hehehehe… *laughs nervously***

**So, on with the show, I hereby present to you: **

**Forgive me for this one though, for I am a hopeless romanticist. **

**Disclaimer:**** Honestly, they should totally make me the owner of **_**Naruto**_**. I would make it **_**so**_** much better. Sasuke would be **_**so**_** much hotter (as if that was possible). Sakura **_**so**_** much cooler. Karin **_**so**_** much dead. Who the hell is **_**Kishimoto Masashi**_**? Who the hell are **_**Dattebayo**_** and **_**TV Tokyo**_**? **_**I**_** self-proclaim myself to be the new and awesome owner of **_**Naruto**_**… ………… Tch, in my ****dreams****. I own nothing people. NOTHING. Not even the teeny tiny multi-millionaire brands I've put in here. **

**Nothing.**

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_Accoralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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'_Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?'_- **Moulin Rouge**

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"A divorce?"

Sakura's face was serious. Completely and utterly serious. "Yes. A divorce."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. There was a complete list of the most shocking -not to forget horrible- moments of his life. The blame of that list, half its content, was created by Sakura.

"No." He stated.

"Excuse me?" Sakura couldn't contain the serious, monotone façade she had before.

"You heard me." Sasuke said simply, almost casually. "No."

"No, as in; you would not give me a divorce?" Sakura asked incredulous.

"Exactly." Onyx orbs giving no emotions what-so-ever.

"How can you not?!" Slowly anger was building into her.

"I will not give you a divorce. Not as long as I-"

"Do not dare to finish that sentence, Uchiha Sasuke, for I am neither yours nor your property."

"You married me because_ I_ wanted you to." He easily said in his full confident, arrogant self. "You married me because _you _had feelings for _me_."

"I _used _to have feelings for you." She hissed as soon as that last line left his lips. She did it fast.

Maybe too fast.

Standing his ground, he took a step near her. "You cannot grow over feelings such as those, Sakura. Your love was never true if you just stopped feeling it overnight."

"Well, accept it, because it is so."

He stepped closer. "That is a lie."

"It is not, I assure you." Her hands settled on her hips. "I have long since forgotten these mismatched feelings that I harbored for you."

She could not find the guts in this situation for him to smirk. That self-centered, egoistical, pompous, arrogant, _sexy_ side-ways smirk.

But he did.

"Then," He almost grinned. "Let me remind you how it was to feel that for me."

It took one other step and he reached for her, pulled her –none too gently- into him and sealed his lips with her.

It felt like a personal blessing from any kind of god up there to feel her lips, or any part of her for that matter, on him.

He could taste her shock even on his tongue as he licked her bottom lip. She gasped hard, and not one for letting such an opportunity go, he probed his own way in her without permission. He deepened the kiss, his slick organ sweeping inside her mouth, making his body temperature rise a few degrees.

It has been months since he had the pleasure and satisfaction of kissing this woman. Even if it was her that provoked the kiss for all the wrong reasons, he did not care. Point was, that he felt her. Lips, tongue, teeth, body and soul was in his arms and he enjoyed it.

Hell, he loved it.

And he wanted to feel that again.

Pushing himself harder to her, trying to trigger a reaction, they both stumbled a bit back but didn't fall.

Sucking her tongue into his mouth gently, he savored her taste. She still smelled, felt and tasted amazing. He had the idea that he was touching a piece of heaven.

She didn't respond to him though; she just stood there. Frozen, still of the shock he was sure. Glancing at her, he found her emerald eyes that entranced him in the past more often than he likes to admit, so close, bright and wide open.

This was, however, not the look that he desired from her. He wanted her to react, to kiss him back, to touch him, to moan for him, to arch her back for him, to whisper his name for him, to do at least something!

And something she did alright.

It was in a flash that she was pushing him off of her and the flat side of her hand slapped him quite painfully against his cheek.

His face forcefully turned to the other direction, its skin now burning hot red. The sound of her hand coming in contact with his face echoed a bit too long through the empty hallway.

He could still feel it though; the need, the desire, the love, the lust, her warmth, still pounding in his veins, making his breathing heavier and his body shake.

She was panting. Her body was shaking of rage, her eyes spewing out flames, her lips were swollen of his cause, her cheeks were flushed, her hair somewhat askew, and her hands were itching to hit him again and then some.

She looked absolutely damn beautiful.

With the backside of her right hand, she wiped her lips as if she tasted something awful.

Their kiss, that lasted longer in his own world than in reality –which was hardly thirty seconds- was over before it even began.

"What the hell?!" She all but screamed in fury towards him. "How dare you kiss me?!"

The look in Sasuke's eyes was enough to kill. The eternal flames of hell are nothing compared to the anger that was captured in his hues.

Quietly and gritting through his teeth, he told her, "I am not going to let something go that I love."

As much as the truth it was, as much as openly honest he was, she was not effected to his line in the least.

"You know nothing of love." Emerald orbs darkened and narrowed.

"I know love when I feel it, Sakura." He still talked calmly; not about to snap once again. He knew the game of rage all too well to lose yourself in it and get carried away.

And it was exactly that attitude of him, that aloofness, cool, impassive attitude that he displayed right now is what she hated more than anything.

"You don't, Sasuke. You never loved me, you never even cared for me. We were never meant to be together. Sarina Karin was the apple of your eye, so don't pretend you do now." She was not buying his lie. "And I demand you to give me a divorce!" She added in an afterthought.

"You can forget about that." He stepped closer to her again.

"Stay away from me-"

But he ignored her and came nearer, reaching for her.

She flinched away from him immediately.

"I will not give something of mine away for someone like Tatiana Kiyoshi." His voice was small. Whispering, one would say.

"It is not your business if I divorce you for Kiki or not." She could not stay any longer in Sasuke's presence. Fingering the keycard of her hotel room in her pocket, she backed away to her door.

Sasuke saw her intentions and wanted to grab her, but she, quicker than the eye could see, pulled out the keycard, opened the door and slammed it shut inches in front of the Uchiha's face.

She leaned her back against the door, her feet wobbly and her heart rate 100 miles per hour. Her hands trembled of the adrenaline, which began long before she was on this side of the door.

She didn't hear him go away, but he was always silent and fast like that.

Taking in short breathing exercises to make her heart calm down, she heard something that made her sharply take in a breath and let it hitch in her throat.

"So you wouldn't forget," She heard his soft deep voice against the door. "I love you."

He stood there, his forehead gently leaning against the door, knowing full well that she was leaning on it too, whispering the words that came straight from his heart.

Both stayed stock still, each on either side of the door, they breathed calmly oxygen through their lungs.

While still sitting against the door on the floor, she let it dawn on her what just happened between them. They fought, again, he claimed that he… oh God, loved her and she… she asked to divorce him.

A sudden rush of wanting to hyperventilate took her.

How long had she craved, longed or even needed him to say those words? How long had she dreamt of him saying it to her under the moonlight and between the scent of roses? And how long after she stopped wanting that and told herself that dreams would not ever come true, he came and said it to her?

"_Your love was never true if you just stopped feeling it overnight."_

She recalled his words and it made the back of her eyes burn awfully and fill full with tears.

He had been right. Because even after a year of suppressing it deep down, fighting it by forcing herself to like another man, she could not control her heart.

But she was damn far from surrendering to it.

The next day, both Uchiha and still-technically-Uchiha-but-goes-by-the-name-Senju cancelled the meeting.

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- **One week later. Senju Estate, Miami –**

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"Sakura I can't take this anymore!" Tenten yelled out in frustration. "What has gotten into you? What the hell happened?"

The pink haired woman said nothing and only kept emerald eyes focused outside on the two white butterflies fluttering around each other on the Violets that grew in the garden.

They were supposed to drink tea; Tenten, Tsunade, Shizune and herself. It was done partially to keep her mother off of the liquor at one in the afternoon and to catch up what happened in both Berlin and Las Vegas. While Shizune and Tsunade already told their side of the trip, Tenten and Sakura didn't get much further than their departure from the mansion.

The two older women were particularly curious as to what went down there since Sakura had said less to nothing to anybody since they arrived back. For Tenten even since they were still there.

But they kept their mouth shut in inquiring because Sakura wouldn't even say a word to the Hinosyuri. So why bother?

"She has been depressed for more of this week, I don't know what's going on with her." Tenten sighed and let her body fall gracelessly in a lean chair.

"It happened there, ne? Since when has she been ignoring you like this?" The blond Senju asked while sipping her tea, her pinkie neatly lifted in the air.

"Uuhm… I'm not quite sure." Tenten scratched the top of head, thinking, and making a face.

"It must have been at some moment when you left her alone." Shizune suggested, pouring another cup. "She cannot have become like this one minute over the other."

"Oeh, I remember!" The brunette chirped up. "It was when she came back from the meeting and I found her asleep already. And it was really early to be in bed. The next day she was like a picture of her husband."

An eyebrow twitched after that particular comment. "I am still in the room." Sakura snidely barked, glaring at the women in front of her.

"Well, then actually _be_ in the room. You've been a walking statue all this time and frankly, it's quite annoying." Tenten retorted back, shooting her with a glare to match.

Sakura chose not to answer that, instead she kept her gaze cold and rudely slurped the rest of her tea, and all but threw the cup back on the table.

"Is there… something you like to share with us, Sakura?" Her mother asked her gently a little above her cup, all too surprised at her daughter's attitude.

"If I wanted to share anything don't you think I would've done so already?"

Tenten growled angrily. "Wow, woke up on the bitchy side of the bed this morning, huh? Or are you just PMS'ing?"

Emerald clashed with cacao brown eyes and held a fierce battle against each other.

Shizune sighed, leave it to Tenten to make such a crude remark. The Hinosyuri was overall a sweet woman but beware once she's pissed off. That mouth will be the end of hers some day.

Tsunade held her tongue to scold Tenten, and looked back at Sakura. "Are you sure that nothing happened in which we could provide you our help with?"

"Absolutely nothing." Sakura shot back.

"Nothing that troubled you while in Las Vegas?"

"Nothing."

It was a little hard for each of them to say anything, except for Sakura. She wasn't planning on saying something in the first place.

"I don't know what the hell is going on what her." Tenten spoke up. "It's like she saw Sasuke there or whatever."

Unwillingly Sakura sucked in a gasp and her body went rigid.

The women dropped their jaws in realization.

"You met Uchiha Sasuke in Las Vegas?" Tenten gaped at her, while Sakura skillfully averted everybody's eye.

"When?!" Tsunade wondered, her expression not much different than the chocolate brown haired female.

A gulp. It was loud and all heard it, cracking through the silence.

"When?!" The three women interrogated all at once.

Logic worked in the Hinosyuri's mind. "At the meeting, didn't you?"

Sakura flinched at the memory, as if it physically hurt her. Deciding that she was already caught for the way she was acting, she might as well tell them the full story. But she had yet to meet anybody's eye contact.

"And after the meeting too. He stayed in the same accommodation." She found out that her mouth was dry, despite having just gulped the rest of her tea not so many moments ago.

"He stayed in the same hotel?!" Tenten yelled. "Our hotel?!"

The silence screamed the answer to her.

Tsunade became serious instantly. "Tell us what happened, Sakura." Her tone was motherly, comforting. A tone that she couldn't use for far too long.

The former Haruno swallowed, her orbs still set outside. The white butterflies were gone, the wind had picked up a little, she could see it by the way how the flowers danced.

"I knew I shouldn't have gone to Las Vegas. Stepping into the meeting he sat there. Across of me. After the meeting, all I wanted was to escape from him, and I did. Until I was in the elevator. There was where our argue began."

"And then?" Shizune asked, quite into the story.

All the while emerald hues didn't broke away from outside.

"He… he told me he…" Sakura gulped. "That he loved me." A careless whisper.

The female's gasps ran through the room.

"Oh my God… I can't believe this!" Tenten said breathless. "He actually said.."

"Yeah." She answered and switched her gaze to the three before her. "And I told him that I wanted to divorce."

With mouths wide open, disgraceful, and eyes open to their maximum, they stared at the heiress.

"So…" The chocolate brown haired woman began unsure, a little bit breaking the awkward quietness. "You're finally divorcing?"

She nodded nonchalant. "I don't know why he didn't pursue me sooner to file for divorce but… I guess we know now why."

She felt a little better telling this to the women close to her, not tremendously lot, but still lighter. She should have done this sooner than brooding around.

"If he loves you.. then… what about Sarina Karin person he's dating or whatever?"

It was a question that, in reality, played in her mind for some days now. Sasuke may have told her that he supposedly loved her, but if he did, then what was he still doing with Sarina Karin? So far she knew, he was still very much with that woman.

Oh honestly, she could see it alright how much he loved her. Yeah right.

Besides, she told herself, she was with Kiki. She didn't ask Sasuke for suddenly requiring her love. She was happy with Kiki. She wanted Kiki.

She did.

Sasuke was, as she already told him, -and herself- too late.

Karin and he deserved each other, just like he wished for.

Tenten flicked her gaze towards Sakura. Ever since she met Haruno Sakura, she was always sweet to her. And in the year after, she never heard her talk about Sasuke again.

She assumed as much after hearing her history from Shizune, who heard it from Tsunade-sama, that she was, if just a little bit, still heartbroken after what went down between her and Uchiha.

At least, any normal woman would.

In the year she spent after, while being in Europe and Japan, Sakura had not dropped one tear in cause of her and Sasuke's… break-up…? Or at least not in front of her, Tsunade-sama, Shizune and Miguelina.

Instead, Sakura showed a determination that she would avoid talking about Sasuke as much as possible, or her life in general before she met them all, for that matter. Except about Ino. Tenten knew Ino before she even met the platinum blond woman by all the stories Sakura told her.

Point is, is Sakura really as tough as she looked and was she really over Sasuke? Because Tenten saw that even if the heiress dated some other men, she never stayed with them long enough for their relationship to become serious.

Tatiana Kiyoshi is the farthest that Sakura has come within consideration of a relationship.

But Sakura's chapter with one Uchiha Sasuke is still not done.

Tenten snapped back from her own world when she heard the main female from her thoughts speak.

"Tomorrow…" The heiress began, "I will seek my lawyer and file for divorce."

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The sound of clicking heels from her Prada in the silent halls always made a shiver of delight run over her spine. It gave her the feeling of pure feminism, and power over her looks means that she felt sexy.

Exactly what she needed tonight.

Her fingers tingled and her toes curled knowing what she will accomplish soon. She was excited, more exciting than she has ever been. She was giddy, like a child in a toy store, or like a bird in the sky. She felt great, like she just passed a test with flying colors or like she just bought a killer outfit.

There was little that could ruin her mood at the moment, and that was only better for her.

It was late, a little over one in the morning. Nobody except she, him and two maids were present in the mansion.

Even better.

And he was probably in the bedroom.

Could it get any better?

Feeling a grin etch its way to her lips, she shook her head. There was no room for over-confidence this night.

Stopping in front of a dark oak wooded door, she fixed her clothes one last time. He was right behind it, right there for her to take.

She knew how to play her cards and tonight she would go for a royal flush.

Slowly she turned the knob and the sound of said door echoed hallow and kind of eerie when opened.

That did nothing to faze her.

She bit her lower lip in order to prevent any kind of moan from escaping her when her crimson orbs landed on the youngest Uchiha.

He stood in his balcony, while the television was talking but his eyes were facing upwards, clad in _only_ a black sweatpants that hung deliciously low around his hips.

Karin wanted to sigh. Uchiha Sasuke truly was a sight to behold. What she loved the most of this gorgeous man must be his abdomen. She adored that part of his anatomy almost as much as… that what is below his abdomen. Almost.

She could warily see the look on his face, only because her attention wasn't particularly there, but when she did lift her gaze, she wasn't surprised to see nothing but blankness.

He was in his thoughts, she could tell, if the way he stared in outer space like that was any indication. He was always focused, at any part of the day, even now, lost in thoughts she knew that he was aware of her presence in the room even though he didn't acknowledge her.

Not that that will stay that way for long. She almost beamed at that thought.

Stepping forward, she closed the bedroom door, and walked up until the entrance of the balcony, leaning against the frame.

"Sasuke…" She whispered, not wanting to talk in normal audible level.

He blinked, but did not move his eyes from the sky. It was enough for Karin to know that she had his attention, if only part of it.

"Come to bed."

There was a pause, almost a pregnant one, when he answered, "Go on, I will be in later."

Somehow, Karin knew this. But, as forehanded mentioned, she was prepared and played her cards well.

"Come to bed with me."

His eyes didn't connect with hers and he turned to stare off at the dark night sky again.

She saw this coming, Sasuke didn't come near her ever since he returned from La Vegas and that could be only because of one reason.

Haruno.

How and when they could have possibly met, Karin had no idea, but she could tell that Sasuke saw her. They haven't done anything though, she had noticed that too, woman's intuition one could say that something did went down between the two.

Something far from her reach of understanding.

And she was going to stop that now.

Stepping behind him, he being at least a head taller, she kissed his naked shoulder gently.

"You seem troubled." She faked a concerned tone, one that wasn't so hard to act. "You're thinking about something you don't specifically like, by the way that you are brooding like this."

Sasuke did nothing to give her some kind of a reaction or respond, as she expected.

Sliding her hand from behind him, she let it rest on his chest, and standing on her tiptoes she whispered in his ear once again. "Come to bed with me."

He only shook his head no shortly.

Pouting slightly, she spread her fingers and began to let them glide lightly over his warm skin. Her fingertips barely grazing him.

"Ah come on Sasuke," She breathed this time more seductively, practically purring his name. "I know how much you hate going to bed with a troubled mind."

She bit back a smirk when she felt him shift as she kissed that spot a little behind his ear.

"And you know I could be very helpful in letting you forget your daily problems."

Sasuke didn't say anything, only a quiet sigh escaped him before he turned to her. His eyes were closed, which was out of the ordinary because he always looked her in the eye. He touched her cheek in a manner that frankly, he never has done with her before.

But for Karin it didn't matter, because while kissing her, in a strangely soft and gentle kind of way, he guided her to the bed.

And that was all that she wanted.

-

-

-

* * *

- **2 weeks later – **

**

* * *

  
**

A cool breeze went through the open window, making the dark curtains sway up and down. Early sunlight fell through said window right on a tanned face and closed lids.

He slept so peacefully, he didn't want to wake, but already he could feel the grin stretch across his lips.

Thin sheets covered him from his chest and down, a position where it usually doesn't even cover him. Usually the sheets are either somewhere at his hips or legs, or on the ground because he kicked them off in his sleep.

Usually, Naruto thought smiling, eyes still closed, was most definitely not now.

Revealing ocean blue orbs slowly, the morning sun shining right on him, he squinted his eyes.

Quickly glancing to the clock on the nightstand he discovered that it was a little over 6.

Not even on a normal workday was he up at this time of the day, and if he was in any other circumstance than at the moment, he would be very pissed off by now to be even awake.

The difference this time, was solely because of the female body that was sprawled across the rest of the bed. Her head was upon his chest, still sleeping soundless, and her long dark hair over his abs and her shoulders.

How the light illuminated on her skin, her face so peaceful and serene, made Naruto think she was an angel straight from heaven, a godsend, blessing him with this weird feeling in the pit of his belly, that honestly, he had never felt before in his entire life.

He was happy. Truly and utterly happy. He felt like she belonged here and he was meant to be here with her. There were some few and very rare once-in-the-blue-moon moments that he got a glimpse of such happiness he was experiencing right now.

He looked down at her, seeing only the half of her face, sleeping quietly.

She was so beautiful, this sunflower of his.

Emphasizing; his.

He was very well aware of what he was doing and with who he was doing it with, but he didn't care. Hyuuga Hinata wasn't ever going from his grasp.

After their first date he became well acquainted with this woman. Of course that night there wasn't anywhere he could take her except those few tables away from her family. But that didn't matter, because he was in her presence, fairly alone, and he could talk to her.

A thing that any other time Naruto didn't even bother to do with women he was interested in. Talking with them to get to know them, that is. But, as it already appears, since the day he first saw her she was nothing like all the other women.

And he didn't even know what it was that makes her so special and stand out from all the others that he has an eye on, but it was not something that he cared to specially unravel, as long as she was with him.

Their second date soon followed, and that was not even a week after their first. He asked, once again, Hiashi if he could get the pleasure of taking his eldest daughter on a date another time. For some reason, there wasn't even the slightest of hesitation when he acquired.

That date, he went totally cliché, he found so himself, and brought her to a nice restaurant.

Upon the date she asked him to stop seeking for her father's permission if he wanted to stay in touch with her. It was not that she felt honored that he did so, she had stated softly with her trademark yet cute blush of hers, but she tried to be independent, and away from her father. To be much like her cousin; Neji.

Naruto laughed then, and told her that though Neji is very much steady on his feet, he had yet to meet anyone colder and more serious as he was. With the exception of Sasuke.

And so they talked the entire night about themselves to another. Their date ended with a simple thank you and the most sweetest kiss on his cheek he had ever gotten.

He tried to keep the touching and kissing as long as possible from her out of respect of her being the heiress of the Hyuuga clan.

She had given him her private number, one that was Hiashi and Neji free, she assured him. He called her, when he thought he was going crazy with doing nothing with that number.

That was 3 days later.

If anything, she sounded more than happy to hear him ask her out once again.

This time he brought her to a gallery show, one specifically of flowers. He remembered quite well that she said that she loved flowers. At the end of that night, when he brought her to the door of her house, and he was getting another kiss on the check and a thank you, he couldn't help himself; at the very last moment he turned his head slightly to the right and their lips connected.

It was their true first kiss. She gasped and backed a step away, but he followed suit stepping with her and kissing her again.

She hesitated for a moment, but Naruto's tongue that asked for permission along her lip was all that needed to persuade her.

It was gentle and overly sweet, so completely un-Naruto like that it was strange and unfamiliar to him. But pleasant nonetheless.

It took him everything he had to pull away from her sensual and delicious lips, and to keep his hands off of her and at his sides.

Abruptly he had moved away from her, apologizing immediately for not controlling himself and kissing her so suddenly.

He didn't even look up at her face to take in her expression. Surely it must have been a mixture of shock and anger how he so easily claimed her lips without so much as a warning or her clear permission. Hell, he even didn't want the gap that she created early, exist between them and taking the hint that she did not want to be kissed by him.

Bowing his head slightly to her, he turned back to his car, quietly saying her name and a goodbye.

Soft hands on tanned and strangely whiskered cheeks stopped him from moving all together. She turned his sad looking face her direction and he saw on her the most dazzling smile ever.

She said that he shouldn't have stopped, and he replied back with saying that if he did not do so, it wouldn't have stayed with only kissing.

The look in his eyes when he warned her was enough for her to know with what he meant with that.

She paused, but then gave a shy smile underneath and told him that she didn't feel a difference in herself in minding to do that than actually wanting him to do so since earlier this night.

Unable to hide his grin he kissed her again, this time her reaction was immediate. Flushing at her own words, she asked, between their lip lock, if they could go back to his place.

That was all the approval he needed.

And so they ended up making love in his bed.

Naruto realized, whilst deflowering her, that he acted so differently around her. He whispered soothing words in her ear, almost poems and rhymes, all about her. He told her that he was sleeping with her not as someone who was after the power of her clan, or as a suitor for the heiress, or as a player who only wants one thing, but as a man in love.

When he came, it was a rush of ecstasy he had never felt before, to really make love, including emotions and feelings.

He wanted to have it the rest of his life. He wanted, no, _needed_ her for the rest of his life.

He understood lust and desire, he lived with them for years, night after night with all kinds of women, but with Hinata, lust and desire and with a combination of love… it was out of this world.

And after they were completely whole because of each other, just before they succumb to their exhausted but very much satisfied sleep, he whispered, while spooning her from behind, lowly in her ear his love for her.

This is where she belonged, right here; legs tangled, arms around each other's waist, hair across pillows and sheets, hearts beating purposely for another and preferably, naked.

Each and every day.

Smiling he looked back up at the ceiling, hugging her a little bit closer to him.

He was being _so_ sappy.

-

-

-

* * *

- **3 weeks later – **

**

* * *

  
**

Tenten growled under her breath. She really didn't want to go anywhere doing anything today. But being the assistant of Senju Tsunade, she didn't had that luxury.

It wasn't like she was lazy of nature, oh no far from it, but it was just one of those days where you just get up and want to walk in your pajamas all day and eat yourself sick on snacks. Rather chocolate –or anything covered with- or some good ice cream from the box. God bless Ben & Jerry's .

But no. Her plans had been cancelled, stepped upon, destroyed, burned and thrown out of the window when a slightly beginning-to-get-pissed-because-of-all-these-papers-on-her-desk busy Tsunade called her in and asked for a favor.

That favor existed of getting outside, into some taxi, and drive all the way to the other side of Miami.

And judging by a look up in the sky, it seems that the weather isn't going to cooperate either.

Great.

Something more to disheveled her mood.

She should ask for a new set of knifes at Tsunade to make up for this.

Thankfully, though, Tsunade did already call a cab for her, since Tenten didn't own a driver's license, she usually go by Tsunade's extravagant limo's or simple public transport. It would keep her 'down to earth' as she would put it.

Her mission for today was, -since she was forced to do this she calls this her mission- to go pick up a package at Rich & Famous inc. headquarters, since the package is too important and therefore cannot be trusted to be sent by mail, it must be picked up and signed for from someone in Tsunade's highest circles or by herself.

And that's where Tenten comes in, sitting in the cab right now still grumbling in her mind.

If it was any other day, then she didn't mind going, but as it seems, faith wasn't exactly being nice to her. She wondered why her blond boss couldn't sent Shizune? It doesn't particularly seem that Shizune did anything else except standing near her side.

Yet Tsunade always complained that she lacked help.

Although knowing better, Tenten knew Shizune did well her stuff, but always in the background when no one actually notices. That didn't meant that Shizune could have done this for her today.

After a drive for at least 45 minutes, –she wasn't kidding when she said it was at the other side of Miami- the taxi came at a stop in front of a relatively tall building. It wasn't some skyscraper but it was grand enough.

Entering the building, she went straight to the reception; there sat a lady with reading glasses on the tip of her nose looking all full of herself. She didn't notice or heard Tenten standing there at all, she continued reading her book in silence.

Tapping her fingers, Tenten waited with impatient politeness for the receptionist to see her.

And she waited.

All in all Tenten waited a full minute before rudely clearing her throat and not bothering with hiding the glare from her face. She all but barely contained the sarcastic '_Hello, do I finally have your attention, bookworm?'_ from spilling out of her mouth.

The receptionist, having the gal, didn't even apologized at not seeing her earlier, and actually did a quick once over of her with a crunched up nose, and asked with an annoyed-covered tone, "Yes?"

Pursing her lips and ignoring the woman's attitude all together, -because really, she didn't want security on her ass for punching the woman and become unable to get what she needed to pick up- and asked where the office of Mr. Maito Gai was.

The receptionist, a woman probably not much older than Tenten herself, reluctantly told her where; her face showed as if she didn't trust her in the slightest and wanted to ask for some identification and the purpose why she was here. Apparently, she had thought better of it and wisely kept her mouth. If not, Tenten would happily shut it for her.

Off to Maito Gai's office, she only hoped the man wasn't there himself. He was a complete buffoon yapping something about youth this and youth that and telling lame old stories of when he was in his own youth and that he missed it and praised it and about his goal in life is to defeat a certain someone and whatnot. If that wasn't enough, he was also completely obsessed with the color green; all his shirts, suits, ties, socks and even his boxers were green –proclaimed by himself, of course- and told her he wore green spandex for training –and for the fun of it- at home.

She didn't even want to imagine that.

Worse thing was, he is trying to set the trend with the full body spandex, -mind you- and even successfully accomplished with getting some to wear it.

She didn't even want to wonder who those idiots are.

And except that Maito Gai was a straight out weirdo, he had a doppelganger, one that could have passed for the man's son if she didn't knew better and had the displeasure of once meeting him; Rock Lee.

Now that was a weird pair. They were _exactly _the same, from the out-of-style bowl cut, to their unbelievable cavemen eyebrows, to their weird green fetish, till their declarations of youth. And they had a very sickly, almost gay-like, relationship between them. One moment they could be hugging and crying crocodile tears together, the other moment they're punching each other's teeth out and making impossible ridiculous bets and promises.

But despite his Willy Wonka behavior, Maito Gai was a sweet and honest guy to the core, and shockingly a hidden business man.

He once said that he never wanted to enter the world of business such as these, but because Hatake Kakashi did it, -the certain someone that he wants to defeat- he, naturally, became so too.

And he wasn't all that bad, really. He became this company's first and foremost business analyst. He was also the one that handled all the important papers and contracts. Hence why she should pick up this 'gravely emergent' package –as Tsunade stated- at him.

She was just hoping that he wasn't there. It would save her a lot of time and uncomfortable hugging and awkward conversations. She could just let his secretary get it and she could sign it at her.

Yeah, quick in and out.

Finding the place, she discovered that though everything up until now was completely against her, she did have this little luck that indeed Maito Gai wasn't present at the moment.

Instead she found, as she was hoping, his secretary.

She asked her, a whole lot friendlier than the previous woman, about the package that was supposed to be assigned for Senju Tsunade.

Thankfully, once again like she was hoping, she didn't need Mr. Maito himself to be here to get the package.

"Here it is!" The secretary held up a brown sealed envelope with a smile. "All you need to do is sign here."

"Wow, thanks. I thought that I needed to get this straight from Mr. Maito himself." If she could, she would have wiped her forehead out of relief.

"Well, yes that is actually how things needs to go around here with packages such as these."

"Then why am I the exception?" She really shouldn't be looking the gift's horse in the mouth. She should taken the envelope and leave.

"Mr. Maito already had an appointment when the call came that someone was already been sent to come and get this." She pointed to the package. "But he wasn't about to cancel such appointment because, and quoting him, 'it would be another youthful day going to waste if I don't meet him as of today,' and he said that it doesn't happen often to him that he could meet one of his once upon a time student. So he left this in my responsibility."

Tenten could have sweat-dropped. She wondered who would be willingly want to have an appointment with that man off the record.

She didn't even want to think about it.

He was definitely with Rock Lee.

"How long has he been gone for then?"

The woman's eyes glanced at a clock. "For about an hour, they should be about ready by now. Mr. Maito has to return to the office. Actually," She said after a pause. "He should have returned fifteen minutes ago."

Tenten's brows furrowed, but shrugged anyway. "Maybe it took longer than expected."

The woman gave her a look that said that would be quite impossible, then switched her gaze the other way. "I do not think so, because here's the man he had the appointment with."

The chocolate brown haired woman braced herself. Now she's going to get it. Rock Lee with all his weirdness and praising and endless talk of nonsense. She prepared for an overdoses of the color green, blinding white teeth, thumbs up and good-guy poses copied from a really bad superhero.

Turning around, already cringing, she set her most shining smile, or at least attempt to.

And yes, there stood… Hyuuga Neji?

Stoic lavender eyes looked at her without the slightest trace of shock or recognition. It seemed as if he was looking right through her.

Everything in his expression was the complete opposite of Tenten's.

Her smile first froze, then shrunk. She very much tried to keep her eyes from popping out of her head and let her jaw drop to gape at him like an idiot. Though she did succeed in not looking like a retard, her small smile did entirely vanish.

He did not need nor deserved a smile from her.

With a cold, careless blink, he walked to the desk Gai's secretary was occupying and completely and flatly ignored the Hinosyuri at his side.

"I was sent to give you this," He stated tonelessly, holding out what appears to be a note. "And to inform you that Gai won't be retrieving to his office for an unknown period of time, because he was…" Dubious of how to put it, he went for; "He has his own reasons, which I am sure is a waste of time and utterly ridiculous."

"Well, that's Maito Gai for you." Tenten remarked quite snidely and dripping with sarcasm. She did not like the prospect of being ignored. Especially not by this prick.

Not even sparing her a glance, much less a reply, he went about to continue with the secretary. "This building should tighten their security in some sorts. It appears that you people allow any sorts of persons walk in here." To which he purposely refers to Tenten.

And to put insult to injury, at the now already fuming Tenten, he looked down at her, really looked down at her as if she was a pebble in his shoe and all but hissed, "Specifically a scumbag like you."

The woman could practically blow steam from her nose, that much of her blood was boiling with rage. She wondered in how much trouble she'll get if she pounced on him now and strangle him to death, bring him back and then repeat the action. How she wanted to curse him to hell and back, yell every insult she knew in his face, followed by a punch in the eye, but she couldn't. At least, not until they left the building. She was here in the name of Senju Tsunade and it would be the unforgivable to damage her reputation just by her own lack of control for vengeance.

Instead, she took the higher up and actually forced herself to calm down. If he wanted to play that way then fine, let's see if he could take as good as he gave.

"Oh, I don't see the problem of that, as much as I would agree to such suggestion," She played it innocent. "Besides," She looked up at Hyuuga with friendly – a little too friendly- eyes. If he squinted long enough he could even see underlying smugness in them. "If they allow_ you_ in here and actually give permission to let you speak to someone as terrific and way greater in achieving something in life than you'll ever have as Mr. Maito Gai, then I'm sure I am nothing to be worrying about. After all, a parasite as yourself succeeded in wringing your way in here." She added a tight false smile as finale of her retort.

The secretary saw clearly how Hyuuga Neji's lips turned down into a scowl and a glare etch onto his face. Immediately the temperature went a wholly lot colder in the room and the tension grew so thick that even she thought in having trouble with breathing.

"To think, Hinosyuri, that you have civilized in the years that we have not met, brings down my expectations of you, even if they were little to begin with. Alas, it seems that you could get a Neanderthal out of its cave but not the cave out of the Neanderthal."

It surprises her still with how much vehement he could talk without changing his fact to match his tone.

"That is very sad to hear." She spit back. "Because contrary to you, I didn't had any expectations of you in the years that we haven't seen each other at all. I knew, and still do, that you were a stick-in-the-mud, with or without the influence of your dear uncle. Apparently polished turd it's still a turd."

This woman was completely insufferable. He wondered what any man would see in her, for all she displayed was being a bitch with a witch's broom shoved up her ass attitude.

Tenten turned towards the secretary. "It s best that is I should leave before I do something I surely would regret because of your presence. Would I be alone I don't think I would have been this regretful." And the shooting of hints loaded with hate continued. "And I don't want to be any longer in _his majesty's_ presence anyhow."

"Though it seems that _someone_ recognized ones highness," He refers to her sarcasm. "I shall take my way, for I was only here to overhand this," He told the secretary, nodding to the note. "Unfortunately, I had to cross roads with some… _inconveniences_."

Tempted to spit on his shoes just to spite him, she nodded her goodbye to the other female and turned on her heel. A few seconds later she heard his footsteps coming the same direction as she has.

Though they were only one floor up, she took the elevator just so she wouldn't have to go into the same space as he if she went with the stairs. They couldn't even be in one room together, much less breathe the same air. As she thought, he opened the door to the staircase and the last she saw of that arrogant dick was his long coffee-brown hair, that she wished she could cut it while he slept just to ruin it all.

The elevator could take as long as it wanted, in hopes that she wouldn't have to bare the sight of him in the entrance hall. And she didn't, which she was grateful for.

Though coming a short stop at the door, she cursed. "Shit." Rain. And not just some spit and splatter but really pouring cats and freaking dogs outside. It became practically dark because of the grey almost black clouds pregnant full of rain. And by the looks of it, it wasn't going to stop soon either.

She knew that this wasn't the best of days and she knew the weather wasn't going to cooperate from the moment she stepped out of the house. She should have taken an umbrella or something.

Deciding to at least go find a cab for a ride back home, she tugged Tsunade ultra-important envelope under her arm, protecting it as much as she could.

Stepping outside, it didn't take 10 seconds before she was soaked till her underwear, so hard it was raining.

Holding out a hand and yelling for a taxi, she asked herself if any cab would stop for her now. She didn't think any driver would want someone as quenched as a dog in their backseat, wetting everything.

She had to stand in the middle of the fucking road to stop the next coming cab.

She smiled to herself and went about to open the door when another hand gripped the handle before her.

A much bigger hand.

Whipping her head towards said hand's owner, she glared. "What the-?!" She all but screamed, not that it mattered much with the heavy rain and all.

"This taxi, I believe, is mine to take." Hyuuga Neji stated calmly, but incredibly serious nonetheless.

"Well go believe somewhere else, because this one is mine!" Tenten shouted back.

It seemed as if it was only now that the rain was touching him, because he looked dry, unlike her who stood exposed to this rain yelling 'taxi' and wet to the bone for the last 10 minutes now.

"It is not. I was trying to secure a taxi al this while now, before you. Therefore, I have right to take this taxi."

What she hated so much about him was the way he said everything. As if he was always right and everyone has to do his bidding. Such as now, he was basically telling her to fuck off and find another ride even after she stood in the middle of the rain.

"If you were here before me, then why didn't I see you?" She knew he was lying, he was completely dry up until now.

Sighing, probably saying in his head how annoying she was being, he pointed back from where he presumably came from.

He stood below a roof?

Tenten felt like an idiot. A wet, angry idiot.

The taxi driver opened the passenger window and scowled. "Are you getting in or what? You're holding traffic!"

Only Tenten bothered to look behind the cab to see a line of 3 cars waiting.

Neji took her distraction and opened the door, but Tenten, the stubborn woman she was, found that she had as much right on this ride as he did, pushed right after him in the car.

Both gave their destined address at the same time. Neji glared.

"Which one is it?" The man asked.

"Mine." Neji instantly piped out. "It is closer." He said, as if that was an explanation.

After a couple of minutes riding and stopping for some street lights, while clutching herself against the seeping water, curiosity became greater than her brooding, and with narrowed orbs she turned to the ever-so serious Hyuuga.

He wanted to raise an eyebrow in question at her, but he chose to do absolutely nothing.

"Why is someone like you taking a taxi anyway?"

Not turning his face, though switching his eyes, he briefly glanced at her.

The hair that was not tugged into one of her weird buns and were supposedly to be bangs, clung to her face now, her brown hair seemed black because of the water.

"I do not need to explain myself to you why I go by taxi, it is not your business."

"It is when you are stealing the ride from me." She did not even let a pause come before she shot a retort back.

He slightly turned to her, giving her the satisfaction of letting her see more of him than his profile. "I did not do such a thing."

"Yes you did."

"We merely got the same taxi."

"You're avoiding the question."

"I have no obligation to answer you."

"Is it completely embarrassing, idiotic or does it have anything to do with nudity that you go with a cab?"

"No."

"Then answer the freaking easy question!"

The driver looked through his rear-mirror to see the arguing man and woman glare daggers at each other. Though the man seemed more collect, the woman seems like she was about to explode.

"Flat tire." Neji said after a long while.

Tenten stopped gritting her teeth and sunk back in her seat. "See? That wasn't hard. You didn't die a painful, agonizing slow death of apocalypse doom by saying that."

… "Yet." She mutter, and even if Neji caught that too, he decided not to respond to that, for he was grateful that she shut her trap now.

The taxi stopped once again for probably another light, as he too let himself relax a little in his seat. Or as much as relaxing he could while being himself and in public transport, he was never comfortable with.

When he felt that the car didn't move after at least 10 minutes he looked up.

"Why aren't we moving?"

The man behind the steering wheel looked at him through the mirror. "It seems there is something jamming the traffic. Probably an accident or whatever because of the rain." He said it casually, as if this was an everyday occurrence to him. Maybe it was. "This could take a while."

It still poured hard outside and he wanted it to stop, because with this rain the traffic isn't going to go anywhere.

Tenten, still clutching herself, wanted the rain to stop too. The sooner the cars began to ride the sooner they'll be at their first stop, and the sooner she'll be gone from... him. To make the matter worse, she is starting to get cold, making her tremble.

The trembling piqued Neji's interest, and that is saying a lot since there wasn't much that got his interest, especially from this woman. He glanced at her; her face still held traces from anger, the way her lips are tight and a frown on her brow, but she was getting cold. He could see the goose bumps rise on her skin while she rubbed her arms.

She must be cold, it's the consequence of standing in the rain earlier for merely a taxi.

The car wasn't going anywhere and the longer they stood here, the more she began to shiver. It was not that he actually saw her than felt it beside him.

Looking outside to determine where they are, he cursed in his mind. This rain didn't have any intention of stopping for the next week, is it?

Sighing, he reached for his wallet and took out more than enough cash for the trip till here and a tip, and opened the door, once again into the pouring rain.

Tenten's eyes widen for a bit, wondering where he was going –purely out of curiosity- and if he arrived already. That was until Neji opened the door of her side.

"Get out." It was a demand, and a not so very friendly either.

"What?! No!" Of course she protested. She wasn't going to very much follow his command than enter that rain again.

"Get out of the taxi." He stated once again.

"No."

"Look," He let an exaggerated, tired sigh. "You're obviously cold so you need to get away from here."

"Who says I'm cold?" To prove her point, she dropped her arms from herself and glared. But she couldn't make the goose bumps disappear though.

"Listen, my place is not far from here." He just _knew_ he was going to regret this, being –for once- the noble one. "You can dry up there, and when this obvious traffic jam has cleared up, I will arrange another taxi for you."

She looked Neji up and down, seemingly to be weighing his request, but then turned her head back to the front of her. "I rather stay here and wait for it myself. It would be more enjoyable now since you are gone."

She has to do this the hard way, doesn't she?

Or else she wouldn't name Hinosyuri Tenten.

Fine. If she wanted to play the hard way then so would he.

Opening the taxi's door to its extent, he all but roughly grabbed Tenten's wrist and pulled her out.

"What the hell? Hyuuga, unhand me this instant!"

Oh, and now she was speaking formal. He could care less now.

Pulling her to him, outside in the rain, she immediately protected Tsunade's envelope. The little bit of drying her clothes were doing, soaked all over again.

"Hyuuga, I'm warning you," She tried to screw her wrist out of his tight grip. "If you don't let go of me I'll-"

"What?" He hissed, with a sharp turn he was all the way in her face, noses a couple of inches removed from each other, kind of startling Tenten. "You'll do what?"

She was shocked, by the sudden movement, and was quiet for a moment. But it was enough for Neji to turn back and drag her down the street.

"Ah, lemme go, you long-haired gorilla! Get off of me!" She screamed through the streets, though no one seemed to pay any heed to her except the strange glances and the curious looks from all the drivers at the road, who still stood in the traffic jam, mind you.

"Hyuuga this is called kidnapping! Let go, let go, let go!" He ignored her. "Help!" She started to yell. "Help, I'm being woman-napped!"

She's less a woman than a man, he thought sourly.

She continued yelling ridiculous things while he kept dragging her. Never in his life did he want to get to his place as fast as today. And it seems like exactly today that his place was further away from him than ever.

"I'm being abducted by this empty-headed, proud, vain, son of a bitch! Someone do something! Quick, call the army!"

For one moment, he prayed, can't she shut up for _one_ moment?

He could see his building now, even through the rain, and damn he was thankful. At least inside he could stuff something down her throat without any witnesses.

"Let go of me!"

They walked in the building and though Tenten quiet down, her struggles didn't cease.

All the way till here, she tried to knock him over, hit him, let him fall or anything for him to let her go, which were all in vain of course. He had an iron grip that not even Superman could bend.

When they were in the elevator going up, he let go of her.

"Uh, finally. If this is going to bruise then I will sue you for manhandling me."

He didn't respond but he did switch his gaze to her wrist. Although he would never admit it out loud, he didn't want to hurt her.

"Where are you taking me? To your home, the deepest circles of hell?"

Again, no reply.

"I guess that if we were, then we should be going down instead of up. You're not going to bring me up here, just to push me down and let me join you in hell, do you?"

As much as tempting that he may do just that, he couldn't. Push her from up here, that is.

"Jesus, on which floor do you live? Hundred ten?"

At floor 12, a building that exist of 14 floors up, the elevator stopped.

Quietly stepping out, he reached for his keys. Tenten followed suit, even if she should have taking the staircase immediately to escape, but she was curious as how his place looked like.

He lived in apartment 37, printed in golden letter.

Neji asked himself if he was doing the right thing by inviting her into his home, he didn't like people in his house. He didn't like people in general, and now he was about to take in a very annoying one into his territory.

"Do you always take so long to open your own damn door? Hurry up."

Make that a very irritating-to-the-bone person.

He was never going to do such an act of generosity ever again.

The first thing he did when he opened the door was take off his shoes.

"Do it too." He said to her. "I don't want any of your filth sprawled around in my house."

Glaring, but for once saying nothing, she took off her shoes and walked bare foot into his apartment.

She was surprised at how… nice his place was. Though the main theme was black and white –you could really see he lived here alone and without a woman- it wasn't bad. There wasn't many furniture, enough for a single person, and all was tight and clean. But it was his window that made the apartment breathtaking.

It was huge, and had a magnificent view on Miami and the ocean. Too bad that the heavy rain was spoiling it and all but still… it was amazing.

She put Tsunade's package, that didn't get all too wet, down on a glass table. Her eyes never left the view from outside. Neji returned from some hall only to find her staring out of his large window that took about 2/3 of his wall.

Everyone, well the one or two people who came in his apartment, was entranced by his window and the view that came with it. The first time he set foot in here he wasn't the exception. That's why he bought this place to begin with.

"Here." He said out loud to catch her attention.

She turned around just in time to see the white large white towel thrown at her, but too slow to catch it on time. It hit her in the face.

Growling low, she yanked the thing off of her, grumbling a 'thanks'. Though she didn't realize that being so violent with the towel has made one of her buns to loosen.

Neji watched stoically how one bun hung weirdly to the side of her head.

She dried her face and her arms, and didn't notice a thing, until the bun completely loosen and wet hair spilled past her shoulder and her back. Growling more, she loosened the other too, she had to dry her hair anyway so why not now?

No one actually knows how long Tenten's hair is. Neji saw the long ponytail she had at the Hyuuga benefit ball, but he honestly thought it to be fake. She seemed like someone who doesn't like long hair and it going in her face, hence why she always had it in buns. But seeing her now, finger-combing her hair that actually reaches her mid-back till waist, he found out that it _is_ her hair.

He wanted to cock his head to the side to inspect her further more with her hair loose and framing her face like that and how much of a _woman_ she looks like that, until he snapped back to reality.

"I gave you the towel to dry up."

Finally realizing that the Hyuuga was still standing there, she looked his way while she continued drying her hair.

"What do think I'm doing? Wiping my butt?"

"After you took a shower." He ended as if she didn't commented.

"What?" She gazed at him surprised. "I am not going to take a shower here."

"I suggest you take one, and wear some dry clothes." He gave her an once over with his pupil-less eyes. Seeing all her clothes cling to her form in all its wetness. "Unless you want to catch a cold or a disease worse than that." He regarded her.

"I rather rot."

He sighed once again. He did that more today than ever in the entire span of his whole life. What was wrong with her?

Couldn't she, like every other normal human being, be grateful of a very rare once-in-a-lifetime offer and accept it?

But he forgot she wasn't particularly normal… much less a human being.

Now Hyuuga Neji was not someone with a temper, but really, after an hour spent with this woman –a useless waste of his hour- he was beginning to have a short leash with her, who was more stubborn than a donkey forced to climb a high mountain with a fat ass on its back.

"Look, I don't like you." Tenten snarled. "You practically kidnapped me up here and now you're forcing me to take a shower and change clothes? Into whose actually? Not yours I hope, when I have desire of getting cooties of your weird underwear I'll give you a call. In the mean time, I stay in these clothes, _my_ clothes, right here."

Slightly turning away from him she continued with finger-combing.

Neji couldn't take this anymore. "Woman," He warned her, and at a tone that got Tenten to snap her head back to him and glare. "Despite the fact that I know you are an ungrateful, egoistical, sarcastic, stubborn bitch, I will ask you for the last time to get that shower. I'll let your clothes take a turn in the dryer, until then I will lend you some of mine."

Tenten merely scoffed. "Since we're going Tarzan style, man, lemme tell you something for once and for all." Neji already knew what was coming. "I do not want and will not have a shower here. I will, however, call a new cab from here until the traffic clears. And if I do get some disease, I hope I'll infect you so when I die, I take you with me. But so far, I'll maintain in being the ungrateful bitch and all the other above you just called me."

This was it. Grabbing her elbow he spun her to him. She actually was surprised to have him this close and him manhandling her, again. Lifting her so that she'd be eye to eye with him, forcing her to stand on the tip of her toes.

She stared straight into dangerous narrowed Hyuuga-trade orbs.

She blinked.

"Take the shower,_ Hinosyuri_, or I'll make sure myself that you have it."

He had to admire this woman's guts. Even though he used his most serious threatening tone, and his most deadliest look, which all combined had any other peeing themselves and heading the very other direction of him, she faced him head on. She scowled just as hard back.

He got to admire that.

Or, she was just stupid.

He chose the latter.

"You're so full of threads,_ Hyuuga_," How she spat his name. "But they're all empty. Hell, I'm more afraid of my three year old cousin's pet rabbit than you."

Inching closer, lifting her higher, still by the elbow, he cocked his head the littlest of bits to the side. If some bystander passed them, then he would've thought that they were some intimate couple, standing like that.

"You do know," Neji began, deep voice even. "That your eyes and mouth are saying two different things."

She blinked, suddenly feeling cautious. "Yeah?" That was definitely a swallow. "As do yours."

Even coming a millimeter closer, his tone dropped an octave. Or two.

"I mean it, Tenten." A shiver past her that had nothing to do with cold. But rather her name being deliciously dropped by his lips. "Warning you, take the shower."

She shut up. Maybe she should take the shower, what was so bad about that? Warm water gliding over her still tired muscles and then cozy warm dry clothes when she went back home.

It was just Hyuuga Neji.

Standing her ground, lifting her chin in pride, their space between them getting even smaller, she narrowed her eyes in determent.

"Make me."

The slow smirk inching on his lips was the only warning she got before he kissed the hell out of her.

She made a hard protesting sound from his lips, and she instantly made to push him off. However, the harder she pushed with her hands against his chest, the more he pushed backwards.

With all her might, just as she felt his tongue trying to probe his way into her mouth, she ripped her lips away from him. She didn't notice though, that even while breaking contact with the Hyuuga, he kept nudging her somewhere.

"What are you doing?!" She angrily hissed at him, trying very hard not to pant because of the lack of oxygen.

Smirking, he leaned forward. "Making you." His voice no more than a husky whisper.

She glared. "This is called sexual assault, Hyuuga."

"It was your challenge, Tenten." He breathed into her ear, its whisper crawling over her skin into her wet hair. Could he have said her name any more sexier?

This time, she controlled her pants not just only because she needed air.

"This isn't what I meant." She regarded him.

With the same smirk he backed away, his hands off of her, meaning that he wasn't pushing her to go anywhere. They stood in a hallway now. How they got there, Tenten had no clue.

"Then be my guest," He said airily, as if the argue of before of her staying to shower didn't take place at all. "Leave if you wish."

Tenten didn't like this. She didn't like this two second silence. She didn't like the look on his face. She didn't like this hall.

"I always knew you were a chicken shit," He needed to stop fooling himself that in some twisted kind of way, he was attracted to her. And she needed to do that too. "Run away from here and from me since the moment you laid eyes on me." And he meant that for today and six years ago when they met.

The chemistry, the tension was always there. She guessed it was because they didn't get along. And because when they did meet, they always erupted into a fight. In a reverse physiology it was because they were attracted to one another.

Because, honestly, Hyuuga Neji was hot in his own way. He was tall, a quality every woman liked, he had gorgeous eyes, beautiful silky hair that framed his face, what would have looked weird and gay on any other. He was smart and he worked hard to get in this position of life he has now.

By his reputation –what she reluctantly heard of, surely- many females desired him, and he had his fair share of relationships over the years, but it never ended well. Because he was… either too cold, always in for business, or too serious. In other words, he was himself.

And Hinosyuri Tenten, she was beautiful herself, but she didn't publically displayed it as other women. She had just the right height, the right curves, had fantastic legs, especially on heels, and when smiling could pull off looking like an angel. She was smart, wasn't Tsunade's second seat assistant for nothing and independent.

Too bad she had an attitude like a dead rotten fish in a trashcan.

He had heard, -do not ask how- that men liked her looks, if she really went for it, but her snidely character was something they could not put up with. She was all hell and spitfire and didn't do anything on command nor a whim, had a tongue as sharp as Rambo's knife, much that broke her own relations with men. To sum it all up, she was herself.

While he was too arrogant, too proud and too commanding, she was too boisterous, too callous and too rebellious.

Can you imagine the two clasping and mixing together?

Exactly.

You get a day full of fighting, insult, glares and pure, carnal sexual chemistry.

The latter of which they both ignored with their very own existence.

And here Hyuuga, no Neji, was practically telling her that she was too scared to surrender to those feelings and give in. She was Hinosyuri Tenten. She wasn't scared of anyone.

And she'd be damned if she let an asshole such as him call her a chicken shit without proving to him that she was the opposite.

She flared her nose. "Fine!" In one final blow she stood tip-toe and slammed their lips together.

Actually smiling into their kiss he didn't waited a nanosecond to respond; both of his hands flew to the hem of her shirt to pull it off of her head while blindly leading them to the bathroom.

Tenten wasn't even going to waste time to unfasten every single one of his buttons of his white dress shirt, she simply ripped the fucker open. Buttons were thrown all around in his hall, followed by his own shirt that fell limply on the ground a few steps away from her own blouse.

He lifted her by the back of her thighs and she automatically wove them around his hips as he turned on the lights. That all without them breaking their heavy tongue-sucking in the slightest.

They had sex that day in the shower, in his hall, on the cough and on his bed.

-

-

-

* * *

- **The next morning, Senju estate, Miami – **

**

* * *

  
**

Birds were singing, crickets were chirping, a dog barked in a distance, dew covered the grass, the sky had a pink and vague orange glow and it was promised to be a beautiful day, unlike yesterday.

Too bad Tenten had none of that as she quietly as possible opened the door of the Senju villa. Though it was only something about 4:30 in the morning, she didn't want to risk anything. Shizune was an early bird and Tsunade wasn't the heaviest of sleepers, so if she could just slip in unnoticed, the better it was that she didn't get caught, the less questions she had to cough up for answers and the more time she had to think of an excuse where the hell se was for the entirety of yesterday.

She didn't want them to know, thus they could not see her in this state. Hell, she looked like sex.

Her hair, though poorly combed with her fingers, were strewn and loose. One glance and they'd know for sure that something happened for _rarely _she had her hair open.

But for the love of her she couldn't find anything to put her hair back in the usual buns.

Second to that, if one of them would come too close to her they would smell sweat, sex and _him_.

Mostly him.

Not that they knew Neji's scent, but it smelled male and that was enough.

And lastly but certainly not least, if they did caught her for questions she must find her voice first. It was so hoarse and dry from screaming, moaning and purring his name all night long, she wondered if she could ever talk normally again.

It was his fault. She cursed him.

Tip-toeing up the stairs, through the halls, she found her way in front of her honey-colored bedroom door. She swatted the invisible sweat off of her brow.

_Thank God_. She made it.

Quietly she opened her door and saw her still made bed. And just as quietly, she closed the door.

She was home, nobody awoke, she was in her room, she was in her bed, she was safe.

Nobody noticed a thing.

Now, the exploiting of a good excuse may begin, yeah.

Four hours later, she was deep asleep, her mouth open, which drool came out from, limbs every possible direction and the only thing visible of her was the top of her head.

Suddenly her body was hit by cold air.

When her body, sooner than her exhausted mind really, noticed the lack of a blanket, her arm began to search for it. The damn thing must have fallen to the ground; wouldn't be the first time.

Warily and with one eye open she moved her head over the edge of the bed, glancing around to find no blanket… instead, she found several pairs of feet standing at the end of her bed.

"Ahem."

She froze.

Shit.

Feigning as if she had no idea why they were here, she looked up. "Hey," She scraped her throat. It was better that they were here at this moment than earlier when she was sneaking in. "Hey guys, what are you doing here?"

If she didn't knew any better, she could have fooled herself that her throat was so croaked because of sleep, and, well, not of… uh, other things.

The faces of Tsunade, Sakura and Shizune weren't joking. Miguelina was probably still sleeping, she wasn't one for getting up this early.

To get her more intimidated, Tsunade began in that harsh leader voice of hers. "Miss Hinosyuri," Uh-oh. She's in some deep shit now. "Would you like to inform every single one of us as to where you were?"

Tenten gulped. "Can't that wait until," She glance at her clock. "Later?"

If she could, she would stall as much as possible.

"No." Was the answer she got in return from all three of them.

Well, here goes nothing. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes. "So yesterday as I was picking up that very high secured package of yours Tsunade-sama," Who said ass-kissing won't bring you far? "I run into my cousin's wife's brother's son's best friend and we began to chat a little."

They raised an eyebrow.

"And we didn't notice the time and as we saw that it was getting late, we also saw the unfortunate heavy rain. She hooked us a cab but it got stuck in traffic and she asked me if I wanted to wait it out until the traffic clears at her place, since we were closer. I agreed but the rain kept falling, and I didn't want to get your package wet, you see, and so I stayed the night."

By the look on their faces she could tell that they seemed to fall for her lie. It wasn't a complete lie, except for that 'she' is actually a 'he' and 'stayed for the night' was actually 'having wild, sweaty, animalistic sex,' the rest was the truth.

Sakura chimed. "Why didn't you… you know, call?"

Ah, she was anticipating that question.

"Yeah, I should apologize for that. My friend and I stayed all night long catching up, I simply forgot calling. You guys know what it's like, right?"

Maybe because it was in the morning that they still didn't have the exact energy for an entire interrogation, but it was looking like they were letting her off easy.

Maybe not Shizune. "What's your friend's name?"

Fuck.

"Ashley…" Simpson? "Valentine."

"Never heard of her."

"Of course not. She's my cousin's wife's brother's son's best friend who lived here for four years already."

They were actually believing her innocent white lie. She could have grinned at her victory.

Sakura and Shizune both shrugged, clearly having enough explanation and turned to walk away. Tsunade, on the other hand, stayed for a moment. Her posture in itself was enough to let Tenten swallow if she didn't know any better to not do just that in front of her.

The blond Senju's narrowed gaze stayed on the Hinosyuri, it was to make sure she wasn't lying.

Tenten knew that stare; Tsunade used it often in business meetings or contract dealings. It was done so that nobody would back out from a deal or double cross a Senju or even speak when she didn't wish it.

Yes, the looks of Tsunade were powerful. That's why she was known by all and respected by all. Though Tenten believed it was because she was feared by all more than respected.

But in order for Tsunade to believe her all the way, she needed to stare her back down. One nervous look to the side and she's done for.

A minute of complete silence and staring at each other passed, then Tsunade nodded and turned to leave also. "Have a pleasant day."

Tenten could have squealed. She's really a freaking mastermind.

It was something about 8:40 in the morning, she might as well get up and have some breakfast.

_After _she had a good shower, brushed her teeth and combed her hair back into the original buns.

-

-

-

* * *

She sighed. Nobody asked any more questions. Not even Miguelina, who, like, lives for gossip.

The day went perfectly normal, that is until _Ino_ came.

Tenten hid her gulp very well when the butler brought Ino to them. Either that or nobody paid enough attention to see it.

Now, one might think, with these specific panic thoughts that Tenten was afraid of Ino. Well, she wasn't. At least not of the actual person in general. Point was, Yamanaka has some sort of _thing_ in getting to know your business, and with her around the subject 'boys' and 'sex' never stayed very long out of topic.

And then she is sure that she'll go nervous and Ino would know and that will be the end of her.

'_I sound as if I committed the worse crime ever and no one may know about it.' _Her conscious reached her. _'I had sex. Plain, simple, normal, good sex. There is nothing wrong with that.'_

No there wasn't. But God! She had sex with Hyuuga Neji! Hyuuga _freaking _Neji! She had sex with that unbelievable jackass, the prick she hated for years, the idiot, the imbecile, the rude son of a bitch that made her blood fume with rage. She claimed in her head that he was the last person on earth that she'd ever want to be in one _country_ with if she had to choose so, and there she was, getting fucked by him in more ways than one.

And liked it.

It was a mistake. A grave mistake that should never be repeated, –even if she wants to- never. Be it any other man than Hyuuga Neji.

And she was very happy without any man in her life, and just because she had amazing out-of-this-world sex doesn't mean that she wants to be with him.

So if Ino finds out, she'll never hear the end of it. She had already twist the truth –she'd never admit that she full out lied- to the others, waste of her excuse.

"Then yesterday I was in the mall-"

"Truly Ino," Sakura cut her off. "When are you _not_ in the mall? It's like your second home."

"As I was saying," Ino glared at Sakura for interrupting earlier and wisely ignored the comment she made. "I was at the mall and saw _the_ most cutest shoes of all entire cute shoes history."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "You claimed that you saw 'the cutest shoes ever' just last week." As long as she acted indifferent and normal then nobody will notice a thing.

"Ah, that is ancient past. This is present." Ino shrugged it off.

"What do you find so terrific at shoes every week anyway? One pair is enough, you probably have about two hundred pairs by now."

Ino sighed. "Tenten, Tenten, Tenten. My blind innocent friend. Let me teach you something. A girls top priority are four things; clothes," She counted on her fingers. "Shoes that matches the clothes, chocolate, and carefully keeping check of her weight because of the chocolate."

"Those are none of my priorities!" She snapped back.

"Ah, but you are forgetting that you are Hinosyuri Tenten," Ino stated matter-of-factly, like it was complete logic. "Therefore, you do practically nothing what the next girl would do."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Absolutely nothing." Ino held up her hands in defense and backed a little. "I just mean that you are not as… as, uhm, as…"

"As what?"

Ino looked over her shoulder to Sakura with a desperate hopeless look. "Help me." She squeaked.

Sakura only laughed. "No way. You got yourself into this mess, see it to yourself to get out of it too."

"I'm waiting." Tenten glared. "I am not as what?"

Ino blinked and stayed quiet. "Okay, awkward. Topic change; so I heard you weren't home last night."

The brunette wanted to protest at the way Ino pried herself out of it by changing the direction they were heading, but as soon as she heard what it was about she got nervous. Pictures flashed in her mind's eye of yesterday's event; scenes of her and Neji wet and groaning in the shower, of her and Neji doing it in his hall standing up, the cough they occupied that soon followed, and then the bed she spent sleeping in, after they had another round in it, of course. It was as if she could still feel him pounding into her, merciless, hard, yet unbelievable good she thought she saw heaven. With that length of his he brought her to places she only lusted after in her most kinky and dirtiest fantasies, fantasies that half of them were made true by him just last night.

"Wha… what do you… how do you even know?" Her brow furrowed, while one eyebrow lifted in question.

"Sakura called me yesterday to ask me if I heard anything from you, since you disappeared and all without a trace. It wasn't what you usually do."

Tenten swallowed. "Y-yeah, I had somewhere to be."

"I thought you were with an old friend from you cousin's… aunt, friend, whatever?" Sakura inquired, also quirked a brow.

Shit. How could she have forgotten that?

"I was!" She tried to stay calm, but she had a terrible poker-face. "I was somewhere in Miami and needed to be with her."

"And you stayed with her till this morning?" Ino asked, beginning to become suspicious.

"Yes. It was still raining you see, and we were talking and I-"

"What is her name?" The blond cut in.

"…" Shit, shit, triple shit. _What_ was the name again that she used? What was it?!

Both Sakura and Ino came closer, waiting for the answer.

It never came. Tenten could only gape at them. How could she forget that name? The one important name that saved her butt this morning, what was it?

"Well?" The Yamanaka drawled. "What is her name?"

They were met by silence.

"You were with no old friend, were you?"

That was half true, she did know him for quite some years. But still she did not answer.

"You didn't show up back home at- what was the time again Sakura?" Baby blues turned to the pink haired.

"Almost five in the morning."

"Ah, showed up back home five in the morning," She expertly, like CSI, went on. "You didn't give a phone call that you won't come, you sneaked in the house and you lied that you stayed with an old friend." She narrowed her eyes and looked deeply at Tenten, who was still quiet.

They all knew what was about to come.

"You were with a man, weren't you?" Ino said calm, almost stating it than asking.

"What?! No! I wasn't! I wasn't!" She instantly began to freak. "I wasn't with any man doing anything. I was just, not home with-"

Abruptly Ino gave a loud squeal. "Aha." She dramatically pointed an accusing finger up Tenten's nose. "You had SEX last night, didn't cha?"

A look of complete horror coma on her expression. So this is how it feels to get caught when committed a crime.

"No! No, I didn't! I-I-I- was, I was at-"

"A man's house having sex!" Ino pointed and screamed. Sakura's jaw was at her feet and eyes opened at their maximum.

"You have to listen to me," Tenten tried again, epically trying to appear less agitated. "I was just-"

"Having sex! You can admit it Tenten, we caught you red handed in the cookie-jar." Ino laughed, mirth completely filled in her baby blue orbs.

Tenten didn't say anything anymore. It was hopeless, Ino just knew it. That, and the fact that she is totally a moron and can't lie.

She sighed. "Fine."

There was an audible silence following that almost physically hurt. She raised her hues at the two.

"S-so it's true?" Sakura whispered.

"That's what Ino said, didn't she?" Tenten snapped.

"Yeah, but I was- I was…" Ino stammered. "I didn't know you were actually… I thought you wouldn't be serious."

"Well it is."

"With who?!" Ino and Sakura chorused at the same time.

_Oh my God._ How was she ever going to say this? They knew him. And they _knew _how he and she were to another. They're going to wonder what all these years of spewing hate to each other had meant for real.

"Who?!"

"Uh, actually, I don't think that is any of your business." She needed to cover this up, they couldn't very much think anything of it.

"Ah, come on. I tell you about Shikamaru and I all the time, and about what we do together." She winked and snickered suggestively.

"I never asked you to! Besides, we always stop you before you go all detail-y and goo-y and gross."

"Yes and now _we_ are asking _you_ to go all detail-y and goo-y and tell us everything." The Yamanaka shot back eagerly, she needed to know every single thing, till the last moan she dropped.

"But contrary to you, I don't want to tell you anything what I've done and with whom I've done it with." Tenten retorted, crossing her arms.

"That is totally unfair!" Ino screeched.

"That's life for ya." Tenten shrugged.

Ino sharply whipped her head over her shoulder. "Senju slash Uchiha slash Haruno," What a mouth full, she thought. "Help me with this."

Sakura raised her hands like she wanted nothing to do with this, also deciding somewhere in the back of her head that she would not comment on the last names thing. "Hey, you are the one who is so desperate for gossip. It is her private life."

"We're her friends. We _are_ her private life. And we need to know who else has entered this territory."

"But if she doesn't want to tell us, who are we to make her?"

Ino scoffed. "Everything! Not telling this to us is like buying a new dress without getting confirmation of your BFF that it looks good on you."

"You can't compare that to this, she doesn't want-"

"It's Hyuuga Neji!" Tenten screamed out.

The reaction was immediate.

"WHAT?!" Eyes were wide, mouths were open, limbs hung limply and brains couldn't comprehend the words that came from her lips.

"Did I just heard you say Hyuuga Neji?" The blond asked breathless.

She couldn't state the word, so she nodded.

"Hyuuga Neji? As in; Hii-juu-ga Ne-ji?"

"Y-yes."

"Hyuuga Neji, tall, dark, quiet and handsome… _that_ Hyuuga Neji?"

"Didn't I just say yes? It is him! You don't need to repeat his name all the time for I don't want to hear it." The woman hissed, getting pissed off. As if the fact that they caught her because she was so stupid wasn't making her angry enough already.

"But you've always hated the guy." Sakura said softly not wanting to get Tenten anymore stressed.

"Yeah, well, you'd be surprised what you could or would do with people you hate." She purposely shot this to Sakura, though what the intention of the comment was the rosette couldn't figure out.

If this wasn't shocking news and wanting to stick to the topic, Sakura would have asked what exactly she meant with that, for she couldn't possibly mean…

"So, you decided that you wanted to have sex with him?"

"I didn't decide anything." She glared at the blond. "The idiot had to drag me up to his place because there was traffic and I was getting cold."

"There _was_ traffic?"

"Yes there was."

"I don't believe that."

"Fine then," Tenten crunched her nose. "If you know that much better, then why don't you tell us how it went, hmm?"

"Ok, ok, I get your point." Ino surrendered. "Continue."

"I didn't want to go with him in the first place, but the stubborn ass took me anyway. We came at his apartment, proceeded with insulting each other, and he forced me to shower. I didn't want to… one thing leaded to another and then bam," She made an exploding gesture for effect. "We slept with each other four times."

"Fo-four times?!" Ino gaped. "He has quite the stamina and energy, eh?"

Here is where Tenten began to grin, though she didn't want to. "Hell yeah."

"And now… you're in a relationship with him?" Sakura asked curious.

Instantly the grin vanished from her face. "Oh hell no. it was an one time thing. We both were just caught up in the lust and I don't know for him but I needed it badly."

"Ha, I told ya!" Once again Ino pointed a finger up her nose. "I told ya needed a boy. One that could bring you to your heights and more. Look at you now. You're all loosen up!"

"I think I needed his dick more than himself and mind you, he has a nice dick."

Sakura shook her head at the two laughing females.

-

-

-

* * *

**- 3 days later –**

**

* * *

  
**

A wind past by her, one that made Sakura smile as it picked up the fruity scent around her. A strawberry was tapped against her closed lips, asking for entrance, begging to be eaten.

"Please, angel, open up."

Emerald glanced over to hazel surrounded by forest-green and saw the mirth of amusement in those orbs.

"It must be lovely to be tapped against those lips." Kiki brought the strawberry that he was holding away from her mouth and brought it to his eye level. "I envy you, Mr. Strawberry, that you may kiss her lips without needing to get permission."

Sakura laughed at Kiki's serious look he gave towards the fruit. "You're being corny."

The man blinked. "Corny? How so?"

"You brought me to a park, under a tree, having pick-nick on a red and white pick-nick cloth with wine, and giving me compliments all through this day. And now you're jealous on a soulless fruit. I'd say that's corny."

"Ah, what a man has to do to be romantic nowadays." Kiki said theatrically. "Honestly, Miss Senju," He smiled at the face she made when he called her that. "You hurt my feelings."

"Forgive me, dear Mr. Tatiana," He, in return, smirked. "Hoe can I make it up to you, for hurting you? As it was not my intentions to do so."

Kiki popped the strawberry in his mouth, slicked his hair back, only for that rebellious lock fall back onto his forehead a second later, and rolled his eyes to the sky. "Let me think," He said, as if he was great in thoughts.

"Come now, there must be something that I can do." She followed how his strong jaw moved when he chewed.

"I don't know, you hurt me pretty badly, I need a good remedy."

"You don't look like you're hurt badly, as you say."

He smirked sideways. "My favorite uncle is British, I was taught never to show emotions."

"That's a lie." She laughed.

"Indeed it is." He smiled back, staring at her. He waited till her laughter died down and letting her notice that he was watching her every move. Just before she opened her mouth to ask what he was looking at, he cut her off.

"Kiss me."

A little bit taken aback, she asked, "How so sudden?"

He slowly but surely neared her, inching his face closer to her. She didn't back away from him.

"This is you making up for hurting me."

She flashed him a quick smile before they connected, a sweet kiss, she tasted the fruit on his tongue and felt his hand slip in her hair and caress her cheek.

He broke away from her after a while and she reluctantly let him go.

"I'm going to divorce Sasuke." It slipped out of her before she could stop it. She didn't meant to tell him now, breaking their moment with the mention of his name, but she just did.

He tensed.

She guessed that if she wanted to move on with her life she had to forget her old one. Maybe she even wanted to continue it with Kiki. She liked him and he seemed to like her well enough too. Maybe it was good for him to pass on from Karin as well.

If she did, if _they_ did, then she wanted to start something with him without the name 'Uchiha' officially still stuck to her. She didn't want Sasuke, or his heart that he was offering. Now he would know how it felt to be her when he was hung up with Karin.

As cruel as that may sound, she wasn't one for returning on her word. So what if her own skipped a beat when he told her that he loved her? So what if she secretly know that somewhere deep inside of her she was still weak for the man? So what?

Sasuke was being selfish. An egoistical, self-centered, selfish man. He didn't care how she felt when he asked her to marry him. He didn't care how she would react when he got drunk on their wedding night because he was thinking of Karin. He didn't care what she did when Karin came back for him and he didn't return until the next day probably fresh from her bed. He didn't care that she left him while she was still workless and without money, because he had Karin back at his side. And he doesn't care what will happen with Karin, now that he supposedly loves her. He does not care that she wants to divorce him because _he_ doesn't want to let her go. He does not care in the slightest because that is how Sasuke is. He only thinks for himself and what is good for him.

She doesn't want that. She doesn't want him. Not any man who is a careless bastard.

Not Uchiha Sasuke.

And besides, she needed to get over him already. For real. And he just needed to get over her. He'll survive, with his egoistical features he'd be up and sleeping with other women in no time like nothing happened.

Then she could be concentrating on her and Kiki's relationship in peace without interferences all the time, in her future.

She _wanted_ Kiki in her future. Though he was introduced to her as merely an escort to spite Sasuke's life, he stayed with her nonetheless and they grew very fond of each other. Dare she say even more than fondness?

Therefore, if she really longed for Kiki to be there in the present and more, he needed to know this, that she was going to divorce Sasuke, that she was _truly _letting her past go.

"I do not know what to say, Sakura." He said after a long while. His face seemed like he couldn't decide on which expression to take. "'I'm glad' because I could finally have you without anyone hindering, or 'I'm sorry' because you could have troubles with letting him go."

She smiled sadly. "How about both?"

Apparently he let his facial features change into sympathy. "Sakura." He said softly, cupping her check as he said it.

She leaned into him, and even though he wanted to pull her close and kiss away her troubles so much, he prevented from doing so. This was not the time.

"I'll be here." His lack of resistance agitated him greatly, but he managed to avoid touching her lips and planting one of two kisses on her temple. "He's a wall that you need to overcome. And I'll be there on the other side being your net to catch you, if needed."

This was what she liked so much about him, many of the other more attributes; he gave no pity. Understanding, yes, reassuring, too, but he didn't gave her pity that she didn't want. He helped her, in any way he could, especially if the subject is Uchiha Sasuke.

"Come now," She tried to brighten up the mood. "Let's not dwell on such depressive matters."

"Indeed you're right." He smiled, quite dazzling, as always. He picked up a grape from their basket. "I have to envy more of these fruit." He tapped it against her lips.

Sakura giggled.

"Ah, such a marvelous sound that is. A repeating of that and you'll make the rest of my week."

Seriously, she thought, how come this man wasn't married or dating somebody before, was a riddle to her. He's so incredible. He was too good to be real. He was tall and beyond handsome, amazing eyes, amazing ass and he's charming, funny and sweet.

Men such as him were either already married or gay. Or the biggest womanizer on the face of the planet. Much like Sasuke before he met the Sarina. He switched from woman to woman like underwear.

Or maybe Kiki was exactly like that but he decided to change?

Change for her.

-

-

-

* * *

**- 3 days later – **

**

* * *

  
**

Alone. That was what he was at the moment. All alone.

Nobody was in the house for the weekend.

No parents.

No friends.

No woman.

Not even maids or butlers. He gave them the weekend off, which was rare if only for the holidays.

He was completely alone.

And he loved it.

Karin was that weekend out of town with her friend. She also mentioned something of going to her parents. They claimed that they haven't seen her for ages and wanted to spent more time with her. He was sure it was more her father's saying than her mother's.

As for his parents and friends, he especially asked them not to drop by because he needed some time to 'catch up' with his office work badly.

He still can't believe they actually fell for that trap, since he was Uchiha Sasuke, he had everything ready on time.

But he was glad, nonetheless, that he was alone with nobody to interrupt this silence. Silence in this house nowadays was as rare as pure gold. Either Karin was always breaking it or Naruto, or his mother or some kind of butler slash maid.

Now, none of them were present. For the whole damn weekend.

God was blessing him for sure.

He had no work to do, -not necessarily, but he will find some, just for the heck of it- and it was turning to be late in the afternoon, sipping his straight black coffee.

He felt good. He felt at ease. He felt relaxed.

The thought alone of all the possibilities of what he could do today uninterrupted could make him jump in glee, if he were any other person. All done in quiet silence.

It almost made him smile. Just almost.

His father would be proud of him because he was so addicted to silence as himself. Sasuke truly loved it, with all his heart, almost as much as he loved-

The front door bell ringed.

That bell was nine of the ten times unheard if one of them were in the living area as he was now, usually there was a special butler to answer the door, but since he send all home and the mansion was pretty much deserted save from himself, he heard it loud and clear.

He was already frowning when he reached the door, quickly looking through the peephole.

He didn't see a person but he caught a quick glimpse of a silver Mercedes parked in the front.

Naruto. The blond obnoxious bastard. He thought that he made it _clear_ that he could not be disturbed this weekend. He's going to punch that asshole back into his mother's womb –nothing personal to Mrs. Uzumaki- for doing this.

Slamming the door open he growled.

But halted.

Everything about him halted for a measure of a good 5 seconds before he blinked. But not able to pick up his cool yet.

"Sakura."

He just barely was able to keep from stuttering, that's how shocked he was. Though as shocked as he was he had to admit it was a delighted surprise to see her here. Swallowing and picking up his wits, he pulled himself together. He smirked, crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the frame.

"Why, Mrs_. Uchiha,_ what brings you to my doorstep?"

She scowled –not that her face was content before either- when he emphasizing her official surname. He mocked her even, the arrogant dick.

"I'm here for you." She was surprised, actually, that he personally came to open the door. There was a butler for this.

"You couldn't resist me." He chuckled. "All that hard-to-get at Las Vegas was just a detour. You-"

"Do not flatter yourself, Uchiha." She snarled nastily at him before she could proceed. She didn't want to hear his cocky bull. "I'm here on business."

"Of course you are." His smirk widened. She didn't like it at all. "And you shouldn't snide your own name like that, Sakura. It only kills the mood."

If he loved anything more, he realized since Las Vegas, was how damn beautiful and hot this woman got when angry. How feisty her eyes got when provoked, the color on her face and neck changing because of her boiling blood, her shoulder that squared by determination, her spine straightens just so she stood taller in a form of intimidation because he very much dwarfed her height, and that still while leaning against the door alone. He wondered how he could stand there without taking her on the spot.

"There is no mood to kill, Sasuke." The man was completely insufferable.

He struggled against flaring desires just because she said his name.

"I need to discuss about something with you."

His face went black. Play time was over if her stern voice was any indication. He pushed off of the frame, standing his full height. The pink haired scowled a bit more because now she had to lift her face slightly if she want to keep looking into his eyes.

"Then come in." He opened the front door wider and stepped aside as invitation.

Sakura hesitated. She didn't want to enter that house again. She swore last year that then was the last time that she had stepped foot in it.

It could be good closure if she did this in here.

Sasuke raised a monotone eyebrow. Why didn't she come in? It isn't like she didn't already know the place. Hell, she lived in here for some good time, more of the time she worked here. So she isn't a stranger by any means.

She couldn't very much waltz in there like nothing happened. It was in this house that the trouble started, who knew who was in there at the moment? His parents? Naruto? His brother?

Karin?

She couldn't.

Putting two plus two together, Sasuke sighed. "There's nobody here, if that is what you fear."

Sakura glared. "That is not what I am afraid for." A lie. "I just don't want to see this house again." A half lie.

"I'm not going to discuss anything with you standing out here." Not that he was going to do much of that inside either. "Your choice."

How she would have turned back to the car just to make a statement that he had _nothing _to say in this scenery, but she needed to do this. She needed to be free.

"I wouldn't very much like to be in the same room with either your woman, your parents, your friends, or your brother. I can barely stand the sight of you, let alone them. "

Sasuke narrowed his gaze, wanted to comment solely on 'your woman' part but decided against it. He wanted her inside his house, not inside her car driving away from his house.

A scoff came from the female, frowning.

"I can assure you it is safe. There is nobody present, nobody at all."

She snorted at his, her frown deepening. "I hardly believe that. There are still the maids and butlers."

Sasuke blinked slowly. "You shouldn't frown so much, Sakura. Soon it'll stick that way." She huffed and was about to snarl back at him but he went on before she could. "However it is true. Nobody is here. I gave everybody the weekend off."

Sakura stood astonished. "You never give anybody off unless it is an emergency or the holidays."

He lifted a shoulder, shrugging. "I needed the silence."

Tch, yeah right. Sakura rolled her eyes. When she still worked there he never needed any silence, even if it was unbelievable chaotic because his parents and his friends were present.

"Are you coming in, or what?"

She shot him a glare. She'd rather not, really she didn't, even if the house was empty, but things needed to be settled. Reluctantly she dragged her legs into the house.

Sasuke closed the door behind her as soon as she stepped inside fully.

"Do you want something to-"

"Let's cut to the case immediately. I don't want to be present in here any longer than I have to."

He suppressed the urge to scowl at her. "I presume you still know where the Grand Library is?"

She merely narrowed her eyes into slits and sharply turned on her heel. He quietly trailed behind her, truly had a moment to check her out.

She was completely in red today. A simple sleeveless red dress that reached the top of her knees. A red hair band kept her bangs on place and some sandals adored her feet.

He wondered how she was able to make such a simple wardrobe into a breath taking outfit without even trying.

With hasty steps Sakura walked into their destined location, keeping her eyes strict forward and her stride powerful. She didn't want to see anything that reminded her of her awful time here.

Sasuke soon followed, leaving the door open; there wasn't anybody to hear them anyway.

Sakura stayed put on one place with her back facing Sasuke. Nobody said anything for a while. Nobody moved.

It was Sasuke, surprisingly, who walked over to his desk, while Sakura stayed still, effectively he was now in her vision. At the corner of his lips there played a smirk he wanted to release badly, at some point, but kept it in for the sake of the glare she started to have.

Suddenly she walked towards him, her eyes focused on him, concentrating on every move he made. She stopped short in front of the man. He was very much tempted to pull her waist flush against him and showed her a kiss like no other, but remembering the last time he did an action akin to that, he went against that decision.

"You may begin any time you want." Sasuke crossed his arms but a playful smirk represented his face.

The things she longed to do to wipe that smirk completely off of his face. However, she needed to stay serious and an adult. She dug into her bag she had around one shoulder, roughly shoved him away from the desk, -caught off guard he almost fell- and threw three files on the top of it.

She sharply turned to him. Sasuke glanced at her then at his desk. He went over to them and read.

_Issuance of Proceedings for Divorce_

"You think that you're funny?" He merely kept himself from crunching the paper and burning them.

Sakura didn't even bat an eye leash at his very much expected reaction. "As you can read, which I'm sure you still can, they're divorce papers. It's one copy for you, one for me and once copy for the lawyer that I took the privilege to take for the both of us; you need to sign all three of them. And as soon as you do, we're divorced."

"As if." He wasn't going to sign anything. He let his eyes fall over the paper anew, this time also noticing that she already signed her name below it. The other ones probably too.

"Sasuke." Her voice was cold. Cold and stern, more than he ever heard from her. She wasn't joking. "This isn't about whether or not you want or don't. I'm not playing any more games. Mark my word that you _will_ sign those papers."

If there was anything he couldn't stand from anyone at all, it was cockiness. Call him hypocrite but he couldn't tolerate it at all if not the very slightest. "You became very full of yourself, didn't you?" He sneered at her, not bothering with hiding his glare, not the wasn't giving him an equal back. "You shouldn't spread such bold shit comments like that."

"I guess becoming this arrogant has wore off from you and lingered." She narrowed her eyes to slits. "I say nothing except the truth."

"Fuck no." He immediately replied. "I find your naivety almost laughable." His voice was nothing but a low growl of steal. "If you really thought that from the moment you stepped out of your house and into my direction with in mind thinking that is going to work by making me bend just on your command, then you never knew me at all."

If only she could wring this guy's neck! "This is what infuriate me so much about you. You think that everything has to go by _your_ biding, by _your_ will. The world does not turn around _you_!"

"Damn right it does." The nerve of this man. "For you, at least at this particular moment it _does_ involve around me. It is my signature you need to get your freedom. Mine, not anybody else's."

She made a foolish step closer to him. "And this is the exact reason why I'm divorcing you, this was always the reason why I left your ass. You're a selfish son of a bitch and I can't stand it."

Contrary to her, he was paying attention that she was nearing him, in anger though, but getting closer nevertheless. "I don't see your problem." He tried very hard to keep the proud smirk off his features. "You used to stick around for me all the while till Karin returned. Before that your own world existed of only me. Hell, you even _married_ me because you were so into me. What happened? I thought they said old habits die hard."

Though his physical appearance didn't show it, she could see it in his onyx orbs that he wanted to smirk that arrogant way of his. God, she wanted to slab him again. He very much deserved that slab. She wasn't the same who put up with his crap anymore. But if she did that, the chance of him getting to sign instantly turns nil. If it wasn't already.

"My habits died a year when I was gone, but it was my mistake for not divorcing you when both of us were willing."

He wanted to pull the hairs from his head. Here comes that Karin shit again. Couldn't she get over it? Couldn't she realize that that was a grave mistake from his part? Couldn't she grasp the fact that he was blind?

And can't she see that he denied divorcing her because he loves her?

"It wasn't a mistake." His voice much more calmer now than a minute ago. He couldn't get anything clear to her while angry and practically insulting her. "We never meant to divorce to begin with."

If she was surprised by his change of attitude then she didn't show it. Sasuke carefully took one step towards her.

"What do you mean?"

He resisted the urge to chuckle. "If there is one thing that is true about this marriage, is the things I told you to persuade you to marry me. That was real."

Sakura didn't buy it. "This marriage, or if you can call it one, was based on a lie."

"No it wasn't." He proceeded, making sure to lock gaze with her. "I once told you that I wanted you to marry me so I could forget Karin."

Why did she suddenly got a clenching feeling in her belly? She wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"And I did." Her emerald hues widen for a fraction. "I forgot about Karin. It was the day that she returned that I realized that my mind was filled of you."

He should have felt discomfort telling her this, because he was never the kind of man to express anything with words, but he needed to say this to her. She wouldn't believe him otherwise. And the strangest of all is, he actually _wanted_ to tell her this.

"I once told you that maybe I didn't love you right then, but I could. I could and I did. I didn't notice, not even in the slightest, I wasn't even prepared, it just snuck on me. And I tried to deny it, months, days, I tried to tell myself that I didn't feel anything of such for you. That I was supposed to love Karin and leave you to your own business. But people noticed what I tried to suppress. My mother, Itachi, my friends… even Karin. I've fallen. Badly. Just as I once claimed I could. The only difference between now and then was that back then, I didn't even wanted to. Now is a whole other story."

Sakura was unable shake the feeling that crawled over her skin the longer she stared at him.

Sasuke couldn't take this anymore though, he didn't want her to leave. He didn't want to lose her. Not now, not ever again and to another man. He told her the last time and she knows he was a selfish man. He always got what he ever wanted. And he wants her.

With a practiced, gentle movement, he had his hand on her cheek. She was looking right to him all the time, unblinking, and seemed to be pulled out of trance upon contact. She jumped a little, blinked twice, but made no action to get his hand away from her face.

"Sakura, I-"

"No." She stopped him, though softly. She did not let him end that sentence, she knew what he was going to say. "No, Sasuke. I… I already told you." He could hear that she was tired. He voice didn't rise in volumes. "This isn't about you. You may have fallen in love with me. You may not want to let me go, but I do. I do not want a man who's egoistic, as you are." She backed away, effectively made his hand slip from her skin.

This woman was making him insane.

Why of all the women in the world he could have, every single one of them were willing and almost begging him to pour his heart out for them as he just did, and she was rejecting him? Why had it to be her?

He didn't follow her but only turned his head to look at his side, creating a pregnant silence between them.

He knew he couldn't do it. He couldn't let her slip. But she was refusing. She wanted him out of her life. All because he was himself… because he was selfish. Inconsiderate of others around him.

If that is what she wants, then he was willing to change that.

Sakura didn't know where to look. One moment they were arguing, the other moment he was telling how he felt about her. She only came here so that he would sign and then they would be free. There was not much that needed to be dealt with. They never slept together, thus the marriage was never consummated. All they had to do was sign and they were over. She didn't want all this unnecessary melodrama.

What did she need to do for him to get this over with? She sighed, looking back up to Sasuke, realizing tat he was once again, coming closer.

"Before I even realized, it was you that I wanted." Sasuke began randomly, breaking the silence. "That was before it was too late."

"Sasuke…?"

"A great woman once said; 'In romantic love, you want the other person. In real love, you want the other person's good'."

Sakura didn't know what he meant with that, nor that he would ever remember such a quote. He turned his back to her, wordlessly walking towards the desk.

Without another warning he flipped open the first file he could reach and grabbed a pen that always lingered on the desk.

Sakura couldn't stop the throbbing course of pain in her chest even if she wanted to. Suddenly her throat was dry, she couldn't swallow and her voice was gone.

Clicking his pen, he looked at her. "I guess we're both of those mentioned love, isn't it?"

He signed. All three of them.

They were divorced.

The room felt closed off, like there was no oxygen left, she couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. None of this makes sense. Why wasn't it making sense? Why was she feeling this way? As if her conscious was trying to get her to protest about what Sasuke was doing. As if her hands had minds of their own and wanted to rip those papers to pieces. She should have been over-washed with relief.

Only… she wasn't.

Swallowing hard, she tried hard not to let her voice tremble. "Why did you do that?"

He stared a second too long to the files he just signed, before turning his head back to her.

Her breath hitched half way in her lungs when she saw the look in his eyes.

They were beautiful.

She couldn't even begin to describe them, but they were incredibly amazing.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me how I felt if I just kept on stating it." She got the idea that even he had no idea that his orbs were shining with such intensity.

"I had to show you," Sasuke continued. "And I can only do so by letting you go."

He grabbed the files, stretched his arm towards her, for her to take. She hold on to the papers, he didn't let go, if not he made the gap between them a little bit smaller.

"Your freedom. We're divorced, Miss Haruno." His volume wasn't much louder than a gently zephyr.

Her heart could explode any moment now, that fast it was beating. All the while Sasuke was indeed getting closer to her.

"You have no idea… how much… this meant… to…" His lips touched hers.

She knew he was going to kiss her, if him lowering to her level slowly by the second was any indication. But the thing that she was astounded of was that she did nothing to stop him.

Absolutely nothing.

It was like she _wanted_ him to kiss her. To keep kissing her like he did right now. There was no tongue involved, it was not like the other kisses they shared; those were hungry and greedy, mostly of his part, but nothing of that sort was going on right now.

He was just sealing them, occasionally moving them along hers. It was simple, it was gently, it was the kind that made her insides go weak.

An arm of his snaked slowly around her waist, taking her closer but not crushing her form to his like usual. As reaction she dropped the file that occupied her hand just a second ago, only so one of her hands would tighten on his shoulder and the other on the back of his neck.

She wanted more of this, of him. The kiss was nothing like she ever felt before, not even with Kiki, and it made her addictive.

He tried to take this as slowly as possible, after all, he didn't want to scare her away. He wouldn't be forcing himself on her again. Hence why he was delighted when she immediately kissed back upon contact. But he almost came undone right then and there when he felt her lips slightly part on her own, only so that her delicious little tongue could slip against his.

It was an invitation he would never pass up, sucking her into her mouth, tasting her after months, playing along her own tongue, over the row of her teeth, deepening their kiss. Her taste alone, like red wine, shot a desire that went straight to his crotch.

Fight it back, his mind yelled, fight it back and don't lose control.

But it was getting hard with how her hand was going through his hair, her slick appendage doing things with his own he wanted her to do with his length, and her other hand sliding down over his chest.

She was purposely driving him insane, wasn't she?

The urge to just throw her upon the desk and have his animalistic, dirty, wet, wild way with her was almost too difficult to hold back.

Their kiss turned stronger by the minute, fierce and white-hot, an onslaught of touch and sensation.

Oxygen needed to turn into first priority again as he felt his lungs yearn for it. But he couldn't let her lips be, they couldn't lose the connection.

Reluctantly he slid away from her sensual mouth, placed a butterfly kiss on her jaw and went for the hollow of her throat. God, he could stay here for all time. Kisses were showered, but he only caught his effect when he catches her skin between his teeth. He grinned mirthlessly, since his face was hidden anyway, when his actions prompt little gasps.

Sakura was incapable of keeping her eyes open, no matter how much she fought it. Fingers curled in his shirt and short breaths became pants.

"_Sasuke_…" It escaped on a moan that only fueled his desire that heated his blood.

This was it. He needed to get her out of here. He needed to get her to his room.

Deciding that she had enough air to refill her own lungs, he shot up to her face. It was her turn to probe unyielding lips, parting them with her tongue and finding his. The hunger that she presented was something he didn't expect.

One way or the other he thought that she would hold back for reasons both of them knew all too well.

But she was careless. In fact, her hands slid down his stomach and abdomen, slowly though, like she was counting every muscle and every bump she met on the way down to the hem of his shirt.

'_Exactly eight.' _Her mind vaguely squealed.

She wasn't realizing that he was pushing her outside the Grand Library. Oh no, she was far too busy with slipping her hands underneath his shirt, feeling the way every part of that area rippled with the slightest movements he made.

If she was at her right mind she would've been impressed that he, as a man, -a very turned on man- could do two things at once; kissing her with his tongue somewhere in her intestines and leading her somewhere at the same time.

Her fingers went higher, over pectorals and sweeping over his nipples. Need pulsed down his veins at an alarming rate from her wonton actions. His hand wandered from her hair to her shoulders and glided them over her back and down, instantly discovering the zipper of the red summer dress she wore.

"This is wrong."

Sasuke questioned how in God's name she was still able to think straight, let alone put an entire sentence together.

Guess he wasn't doing his job right.

They were now in the hall, near the stair that led to the bedrooms. He pushed her against the wall; he was in no way intending to climb those stairs so they had to stop touching each other. He pressed her there, his lips sought her, as he memorized the taste of her kiss, the scent of her hair, the silk of her skin.

"How could this be wrong?" He whispered, his voice so deep it felt like oblivion of sweet fantasies realized, dreams that often vexed her sleeping mind. He traveled his mouth up to her ear, she could hear the cockiness in between the huskiness of his voice. "You desire me."

Personal space lost its meaning, his broad shoulders locking everything away from her sight, with all the roads leading up to his captivating face.

"And I'll be triple damned to hell if I didn't want you right now."

Hazed, he pulled her up by the back of her knees, and undone her zipper half way down. She was lifted up against the wall, startled she automatically cross her legs behind his back so she wouldn't fall. He put his hands on her hips and slammed himself vigorously against her pelvis. Hips grinded together, electricity shot through their bodies, both of them turned wet of arousal and dazed off the face of the earth because of all the pleasure. She tried her best to think, to say something, to beg. But even that was asking for too much.

Before she realized, they were up the stairs, and she was, once again, slammed against a wall, pressing them so close to each other she thought they would reach heaven any second now. The movement he did with his hips to constantly rub it against her was a phenomenal of feelings. All of them too good to be handled. It took all of her will power not the scream in ecstasy right then, crossing her ankles tighter around his form, making him groan deeply, moving arousal against arousal faster.

This unbelievable sexy man was feeling up the sides of her and doing wonders with his tongue over her neck and collarbone. He was like the epidemic of sins, she was sure, a human was not capable of making her body feel this hot like he was doing at this vey moment. She could feel her underwear getting heavy, but that could also be that the very hard and enormous erection was pressing on it over and over.

It was amazing. Delicious. An incomparable fantasy.

His hands were creating a world that she never knew, but longed for it more than anything. A world full of passion, lust, temptation, but strangely enough also security, safety.

His lips and tongue were crawling over her throat, nipping and biting and sucking on soft spots she didn't knew existed.

Her breath fanned his earlobe, making him harder with each exhale she took. "_Sasuke_." It was so soft, every syllable filled with hot desire.

He lost it.

He almost ripped the dress from her body, exploring new exposed skin with curious and fire spreading fingertips. He roughly pushed his way in her mouth, compelled by that she was reacting the same way. Their kissing turned stormy again. Demanding. Powerful and reckless.

He heard her groan in the back of her throat and he enjoyed her expressive sounds of surrendering to lust.

Lust that he created.

The only thing that detained Sasuke from sucked her nipples until they became harder than freaking diamonds was her red bra.

The two of them fell gracelessly on top of the bed, once he entered both of them in the bedroom. Who the hell cared how they dropped on the bed as long as they were _on_ it.

Sakura couldn't have this anymore. Here she was, mind numb of everything that is reasonable, naked except her bra and panties and Sasuke was hovering over her, merely licking her collarbone as if it was the only thing he could do and he was still fully dressed. She needed to feel his skin on hers, not the cloth of his shirt. She needed to feel his abdomen, that out-of-this-world cut abdomen, ripple right above hers. But most importantly she needed something hard to quench the want between her thighs.

Without further ado, she lifted the shirt over his head, forcing him to lose his lips from the top of her right breast.

He was completely out of it, he wasn't even realizing what he was doing until Sakura pulled the shirt off of him. Her set of thinking, if she was that is, put him back on track; to get her out of these clothes. All of them.

His hand snaked behind her back and with a flick of his fingers the thing got loose.

As soon as her bra fell off she crossed her hands before his chest. She wasn't tremendously given and it was an area she was always unsure of. She was showing her chest now to _Sasuke_, who had, before Karin, countless of women in his bed. Who said that he'll like what he will see?

With a touch so gently of a baby, he pried her arms apart and kissed her. A never seen smile flashed over his lips.

"Don't you dare hide your beauty from me." His words were deep, hushed to a point she could barely hear them.

She was perfect. Her body had the color of an angel. Her stomach was begging to be licked and sucked from, her breast were amazing in every way. They weren't small at all, as she seemed to fear, in fact, he wouldn't have minded even if she was smaller.

Damn, his cock was so hard, making his gut ache and his brain sputter in an effort to function in spite of the obvious lack of blood. It screamed to him to just ravish her, making her yearn for it in every second of her day, every moment of her life. He knew it was weeping with pre-come of all the adrenaline and lust coursing through his body.

He leaned over, flicking his tongue over her right nipple and then quickly over her left, blowing on each of them and on their own accord they turned erect upwards to the sky. She moaned loudly, she didn't intend to, but the simple act of him blowing over her chest made her insides tremble of want.

Sasuke wasn't going to take long time just staring at them, he sucked in a nipple, twice hard then a soft one as comfort. His hands were at her hips in no time, one eagerly following her hipbone to the edge of her red panties. It wasn't there that his hands stopped though.

A sharp gasp and a faint moan escaped her as one finger slid over the front of her panties, pressing just hard enough to make a jolt course through her entire body. She must be dreaming, nothing in this entire world could make her jump up of pure pleasure just because his fingers touched her there.

Sasuke wasn't having enough of her sounds and grazed with his knuckles over her panty-covered clit. His hand came back practically wet of her essence, that much she was already flowing. A particular spot, a particular gasp made her arch her back uncommonly high and dig her nails in flesh. Sasuke grinned, releasing her nipple finally from his mouth to plant a kiss in the valley of her breast.

With a low growl of her name, he pushed harder, pinning her tighter to the bed, and bit down on the side of her neck, determent to leave his mark on her skin. Sakura wouldn't let him have all the fun, either. Hands that was digging just a moment ago in his shoulders, slid over his back, nails softly tracing the path she took the way down, until she reached his ass. It took a curious swipe there, only to come from behind to his front, following the last hard parts of his abdomen to the V-section of his hips that poked out from his pants.

She was ignoring the enormity of his erection in the front and merely unbuckled his belt. The feeling alone when she accidentally –or not- touched his member, got him to arch his own back and groan in the back of his throat. Pants and zippers came undone, black boxer short was revealed, but he stopped her hands before they took that off too.

She wasn't going to get to do that just yet.

He kissed her wrist, licking it once. She didn't know what was happening and how it was possible, but that made her as wet as a fish merely by that action. It completely turned her into a puddle of jelly in his hands. It was a secret he must have find out, because it was a simple act of him kissing the inside of her wrist.

He bend down over her again, kissing her mouth harder than either of them was expecting but didn't mind in the slightest. He pushed his erection once again against her wet heat, making her back arch again so that his hand could slip beneath. His felt his way down from between her shoulder blades, to the small of her back to the side of her ass, to the side of her thighs, till he reached the inside of her knee. He lifted it up and around his waist, putting it around him himself, so he automatically pressed harder into her. He grabbed her right arm, put it in the middle of his chest, and with guidance of his own he slid both their hands over his chest, circled his left nipple, gracing his side, following his v-cut, and let her slid that side of his boxers a little bit down.

Both of them groaned the more of his flesh was revealed. Her finger protested against his hand, calling for an exploitation of her own. He let her have her way, his mouth was very much still slanting over hers, his tongue mimicking what he was about to do to her lower region only ten times faster later. She freed her other hand from his hair and made her path to the other side of his boxers, the side that wasn't pushed down yet. As soon as the cloth was as low on his thighs as she could manage to push, and he was completely bare and poking against the inside of her panties, she ignored his erection to let fingers draw circles around his navel.

He wondered why in the hell she wasn't making any specific actions. But his thoughts were smashed upon as she let her forefinger slowly drag down the line of his navel to his crotch, a bee line over the length of him, playing softly on the tip that very much wanted attention, picked up some of his semen wetting her finger and down to the base of his erection again.

Growling low against her lips, Sasuke chocked back a groan as he felt her fingertips trail little patterns over his hips to his ass and then back up. The same way she took when she went down earlier.

He wasn't having much patients left in his conditions with what her hands were doing and how her mouth was tasting. Quickly he had his lips off of her, to the side of her neck, lifted her hips, with him still very much attached at her pelvis, felt her sides and dragged her soaking underwear that was very much glued to her center down. While he was at it, his boxers were gone too, both of their underwear were thrown somewhere over his shoulder.

Sakura suddenly blinked her eyes open, looking over his face. His eyes connected with her before he pressed again on her, taking in her gasping reaction once she felt him naked against her very core.

He closed his eyes tightly then, trying to stop himself from exploding on the spot as he felt exactly how wet she was, her heat washing over his arousal. Pleasure so intense it was painful swept through his body.

"Sas-Sasuke."

He was almost there, he cursed. His mind wanted to do nothing more than to enter her and fill her so up that he might fear his length would come out on the other side of her. He needed to breathe, as hard as it was at the moment. He needed to cool down just a little, step on the breaks and forget the warm wetness of her vagina against him.

He looked up at her, and was struck cold when he took in her expression.

"Sasuke I'm… I am- I didn't…" Fear, there was actual fear overtopping her cloudy hazed eyes. He was sure her eyes weren't even emerald anymore, but a more darker shade than that.

He couldn't believe this. She was… _virgin_? "But… but the year…?" He panted, he was really incapable in creating a normal sentence. "But, Kiki?"

She gulped and shook her head. "Never."

He wouldn't have known. He really wouldn't. The way she was acting, the touches she was giving him, this feeling alone… he wouldn't have known. Here he was, about to penetrate her almost as roughly as he would allow himself, and that was pretty hard, and she was still pure. Untainted. Never in her life.

The wild caged beast in him calmed down. She was a virgin, and he couldn't be any happier than ever that she was. He would be more than honored, blessed and giving for having her this way. She was pure, she was his. He wanted to be her first, there was no feeling better in his whole body, in his chest, than knowing that right now, Haruno Sakura was for him. She was offering her virginity like this. He didn't know why, but he didn't care to find out either.

He would love like no other.

A smile almost reached his face, again, as he lifted himself up and over her, first kissing her cheeks, then her nose, the center of her forehead and one chastely on her lips. As he moved up his erection shifted up from between her legs and over her belly, leaving a wet trail in its way. She moaned when she felt the hot tip of his dragging along her skin.

"Sakura." He laced one hand with her own, softly kissing each of her digits before he turned down to nuzzle his nose with her. He was so gentle with her then, so soft, she could have cried. His lips moved, forming and saying words, but no sound came from his throat.

But she knew exactly what he said.

Softly he penetrated her and groaned of the tightness when the head of him was in her. She's so fucking warm. That is all he could think about. Warm and wet and tight and whatever fevered dreams he had about her, but this is nothing compared to the real thing.

The resistance Sakura felt when Sasuke was deep enough was not actually pain. She didn't know if it was because Sasuke was taking his sweet slow time to enter her, and it was uncomfortable yes, and she needed to adjust, that too, but all in all it felt comfort but a little too much. Like a drink too strong or a candy too sweet.

Senses went sky high. She felt everything. The twitch of his erection, the pulsing throbbing of her walls, the sweat on her brow, the brushing of her breast against his rock hard chest every time she took a breath and the anxiety of him to get a move on. She heard everything. The way he panted, the sound of his air-conditioning, the cracking in his bed, the sound of flesh moving over flesh, her heartbeat and maybe even his own.

He stretched his back, moved his hips backward slowly and with a movement so fast it was barely there, he took sharp thrust in her.

She wanted to kill somebody of pleasure right then and there. Her keening moan that escaped her throat unwillingly fueled Sasuke to move again. He had trouble not to break the woman's hand he was still holding of the feeling of her alone. A pump must faster than the first shocked both of them. He never had this at all. Not with Karin, not with nobody. His muscles shook to keep in control of his orgasm. The way she could make him come almost immediately this fast was a wonder in it's own. Not even when he was just a virgin did he had the urge to come this fast into her as he did now. But he would not, lightning may hit him, a truck may smash him, hell, they could neuter him with a blunt axe if he let it end right now, before it even began.

She was the fault of all, or rather, the godsend of all to that had him this way. There was no difference in the throbbing of his dick and his heart the more he picked up the speed. The faster he went, the more gasp and moans were released from her throat, the more wetter she became, the slipper her passage became for him to move on to.

Was it even possible for a woman to make him feel this way? For her to be this wet? For him to grasp her hips and almost let him bruise them because of this alone? He groaned when he let go of her hand and all digits of her found their way to his back to dig sharp nails in flesh. He moves harder, faster, stoking the fire between them until it was about to explode.

She was almost screaming in his ear, trails of angry uncontrolled nails racked down his back. He felt nothing. Only her core around him, her breast bouncing up against him with ever thrust he made. He lifted up her hips slightly, getting his pace up a little faster. Her back became the perfect arch when he reached a spot that could make her yell out to God, one of his hands followed her back, fingers lighter than a feather tracing over her spine, making her shiver harder than ever.

Just the sight of her was enough to bring him, a shuddering breath left his body as he almost surrender to the feeling and pleasure. The air turned heavier, the sound of their bodies meeting each turned more repeatedly, their movements were slick and fevering, there was no space between them, and just when she thought he'll slow down his pace for unknown reasons, he went faster with zeal.

Skin was on skin, mouth was on mouth. Fingers curled of lust, sweat rolled of their backs and limbs and foreheads and hair. She gave him a shrill of pleasure he never experienced; placing him on a plane of ecstasy that he thought was unreachable until now.

"Sas-Sa…" She couldn't breathe, couldn't see, she was blind and deaf, only feel.

"That's right." He panted, a sweat drop rolled from his temple to his jaw. "Say it."

The feeling was overwhelming. This was magic. It _had_ to be magic. The way his hips moved, those delicious, well cut and oh so strong hips, the way those fine muscles of his abdomen rippled, the way they glinted with sweat, the way his lips spoke and his voice hushed, it was magic. It was so unreal she had a feeling that someone was having her under hypnosis. Her world turned of colors, his length beat down on an nerve of pleasure that she wanted to pop open already, over and over with each short and powerful jerk of his pelvis.

She had to say it. Scream it. "_Sasuke_!"

The groan he let out then was definitely the most sexiest thing she had ever heard. He panted against her skin, moving faster, pumping into her as hard and as deep as he could, hitting cervix and more each time over, needing to hear more of her breathless moans and keening encouragements.

"Sasuke…" He was reaching there. This feeling so good, so hot, so strong it almost hurt. She needed to make this clear. "Sasuke…" But it seemed she couldn't continue than with only panting his name. Her eyes opened and onyx hues so dark there was nothing like it so narrowly opened looked down at her. She was huffing, she was scratching nails over him again when one hard thrust almost got her to jump up.

She was coming, she knew it. She was coming. Sasuke was making her come, his thrust turned the same, every time she jumped up higher, his jerking was harder, stronger than any of his thrusting before. His strong arms caught her every time, his lips kissed hers every time, their eyes locked every time.

She felt it, a wash so strong she spilled over him. Her throat needed to scream but there was no sound coming out of it. She felt every single thrust of his when her vision turned black. The pushing of his very much swollen erection in the whole time orgasm took control of her body. She was in heaven, Sasuke brought her in heaven, this was heaven. Her finger went over his chest and stopped below his abdomen, in some form extending her climax at the delicious feeling of hard muscles.

She came, she just came with him in her. Because of him. He moved in harder, she was making the passage so slick, so wet that she was, it was a freefall of slipping in each time, each moment harder than the first.

Her face was in a gasp, her eyes opened up to him again after the whole feeling of a nuclear bomb exploded in the pit of her core slowly ebbed down.

She mouthed his name slowly, her hands flew to his wet hair, pushing past a bang, and whispered a word too soft for him to hear. _'Goodbye.'_

She arched her back highly, her hips grinding down on his own and her legs tighten around his waist. Something twist inside him, and he's slamming into her powerful enough to make the bed crack noisily, yelling ridiculously loud than ever and coming so hard he swears he can see stars. His release spilled into her and over their thighs, his hips spasms until every drop of his come was out.

He didn't know with which energy he was still able to stay balanced on his arms, or where it came from, but he did. He held on long enough to stare down her face, an expression so beautiful he wanted to see it forever. "Sakura," His voice was hoarse, soft, and scraping. "Always remember," He couldn't get this across because he was panting too hard, breath was difficult to catch in his position. "That I…" He dropped on her. Unable to keep himself up. She received him with open arms, letting his full weight lie on her.

It took at least a minute for him to get control of his breathing. He was still lodged into her, but slipped quite reluctantly out of her. She groaned, she was already used to him being in her that she didn't want him out.

He raised on one of his elbows, the look in his orbs said it all what he wanted to say and unconsciously she returned it. He kissed her lips shortly, breathed in the hollow her neck, words whispering against her skin. "_Aishiteru." _

She heard them and felt the call all the way into her heart but she kept her lips sealed. This was not for them to continue but to end it. Her eyes fell droopy and she knew Sasuke was watching her when she felt him shift to lay beside her. She was exhausted, of everything. Of her emotions, of all the drama, of Sasuke.

The only thing she did was let sleep take her in, naked inside Sasuke's bed.

-

-

-

* * *

She turned in her sleep, sighing contently, feeling strangely satisfied and relaxed since a very long time. She wiggled her nose, much like Samantha for a moment, and snuffled more in a ball.

Her movement was halted though, not because she randomly stopped, but because something was blocking her actions. She didn't pay any heed and just continued her sleep.

It was until an hour later that the bed sink and a warm breath fanned against her face gently.

Her eyes popped open faster than the speed of lightning, looking straight into the face of Mr. Uchiha Sasuke ex-husband himself. His bang fell on his cheek, the blankets were high just above his shoulder, covering her as well under one blanket; the air was chilly, he always had his air-conditioning quite high and last night was no exception.

She can't believe that she lies here in _his_ house, in _his_ room, in _his_ bed, staring at _his_ face, with _his_ breath on_ her_ face. Her _ex-husband's_ sleeping face just an inch away from her own. She could _not_ believe it.

The worst of all was how she _ended up_ in his bed.

Sakura gulped quietly and blinked. She had to get away from here, away from him.

Now.

The first thing she did was check if one of their bodies was touching the other. But other than her leg crossed over his nothing seems to be connecting. He was not holding onto her waist possessively or their limbs tangled in impossible webs.

She exhaled in relief and took her leg off of him, crawling slowly and with as little movements as she could muster towards the edge of the bed.

The blankets slipped and her very much naked body was met with freezing cold air. Nipples turned stiff, skin caught goose-bumps and shivers crawled over her spine. Her arms crossed the vulnerable state of her chest and she shivered once again.

Sasuke truly represented coldness in every way. He loved cold. Cold in his room, cold in his character, cold in his heart.

She couldn't find her underwear between the clothes thrown around the room, who knows where it ended up. She couldn't remember where Sasuke had thrown them. The only thing she could remember clearly as day was his hands and the way they made her feel.

It was only then that it dawned on her. She just had _sex_ with Uchiha Sasuke. She lost her virginity to her ex-husband. It was not just only sleeping with each other.. they were speaking to one another. He was telling that he didn't want to lose her, while she was saying goodbye. He loved her enough to let her go and she…

She wanted to forget him.

She came here, needless to say yesterday, to end her book with him, not to continue it.

Looking over her still naked shoulder, seeing an asleep Sasuke alone in his bed. She was ready to leave him. Forever.

Yesterday she was just caught up in her emotions, in lust and lingering goodbyes. Before they both fell asleep last night, when he said that he loved her and sealed it with a kiss, that was the very last time he'll ever kiss her again.

Because it's over.

Totally and utterly over. Sasuke and she had nothing more tied to each other. Both of them could go and live their life. Sasuke'll get over her with someone else and she will try to reach for that desired happiness with the man who's at her side; Kiki.

No more stress, nothing.

Finally standing up from his bed and grabbing the first shirt littering on the floor; his, she put it on to hide from the air-conditioning's temperature. Just beneath the bed she found her underwear and bra peeking out.

She opened the door to the hall and warmth easily hit her. Now she remembered why she used to avoid Sasuke's room when she was still working here.

"…Sakura…"

Said woman froze. He did just _not _mumble her name in his sleep.

Eyes widening, she turned looking towards the bed. He was not awake, that was a blessing, but the frown on his face and him mumbling her name wasn't a relief either. It was only now that his arms began to reach out to hold her, but they were only met by her empty space. After at least half a minute of his hands going restlessly about on the bed he stopped moving altogether and continued to sleep.

A stiffened spine in a state of shock, she relaxed little by little. He was still sleeping. _'Thank God.'_

The last thing she wanted right now was for him to wake up and confront her of what happened last night. The words that he whispered, the look of grateful love shining in her eyes, the gentle kisses, the soft touches… she was not ready to hear the meaning of it at all by him.

This was her goodbye. Her farewell.

She walked over to his side of the bed, clad in only his shirt. His face was fully turned to her, his expression serene. She took a good look at him. God, he was beautiful. From his perfect eyebrows, to his aristocratic nose, to his desirable shaped mouth, till his strong jaw; he was gorgeous.

She felt lucky, somewhere deep inside of her, that he was her first.

Unconsciously, a small smile graced her lips, and slowly she bent forward towards his face, keeping an eye on his breathing pattern as she inched closer.

Their noses touched, she felt him exhale each time, her gaze searching his face.

"_Sayonara._" She whispered against his lips. Then she gave him a kiss. A brief, chaste, goodbye kiss.

Never again.

-

-

-

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

Silence.

_Knock, knock, knock._

No sound.

More persistent knocking.

"Coming, coming. Hold your horses!" There was shuffles and movements as well as some curses coming from inside.

The door angrily swung open.

"Please tell me she's with you." Tenten rushed inside as soon as the smallest opening was revealed.

An irritated platinum blond glared daggers at the intruder. "Do you even know what time it is?"

"Yeah," Tenten shrugged nonchalant. "It's six twenty-three, what is the big deal? I asked you a question."

"The big deal is," Ino's eyebrow twitched. "That it is six twenty-three AM. On a freaking Saturday!"

"Yeah. So? I'm only here for a purpose you know."

"And what's that? Interrupt Ino's beauty sleep?" The poor Yamanaka did look like she just rolled out of bed. Her long hair was very much akin to Medusa at the moment, her eyes were heavy and was that… stinky morning breath she smelled?

To Ino's chagrin the Hinosyuri merely smirked. "Please, I don't think that even if you sleep for a hundred more years to come you'll look beautiful."

"Would you cut the bullshit and tell me who you're looking for?!" She snapped back.

"Oeh, not much of a morning person, huh? Doesn't matter." Her face turned serious instantly. "Sakura, is she with you?"

The blond frowned. "Here? No. Why? What is going on?"

"She's not home. In fact, I don't think she even came home yesterday."

A slight panic went through Ino. "I haven't heard anything from her. Where did she go yesterday?"

"That's the thing," Tenten said a bit stressed. "She didn't give an exact location where she went, she just told us that she had to go and do something and then she was gone."

"Cell phone?"

"Left at home."

"Kiki?"

"Haven't checked with him yet, but he'll be responsible enough to let somebody know. He did it twice before."

"Then call him." Ino moved into the direction of her telephone.

"Not now, it's too early."

Ino shot Tenten a definite death glare. "So it's ok to wake us up but not Kiki?"

Mocha colored eyes switched to her friend with a snap. "Us?"

A grin stretched along Ino's face. "Yeah, Shikamaru and I; us."

"Well, I'm sorry that I've interrupted you two in your aftermath." She smiled mischievously. "But you're missing the point though, I had to lie yesterday to Tsunade that she was with you so she wouldn't freak out. But what if something _did_ hap-"

_Knock, knock, knock._

The sound was soft and barely there but the two heard it anyway. Looking at each other, they went to Ino's front door together.

It was Hinosyuri who opened it.

"Sakura!" Two voices ran out.

A tired looking Haruno raised her head slightly towards her two best friends. "I knew you would be here, Tenten." Her voice was quiet, like she didn't want to speak.

Both friends blinked. "Where have you been?"

She sighed, entered the apartment, passing the two and casually dropping herself on the cough. "Making a closure."

Eyebrows shot to the sky in question. Baby blue and mocha brown switched glances before each pair eyes narrowed slightly.

"What kind of answer is that, Sakura?" Ino was the first one who frowned and walked until she was in front of the sitting female.

Tenten followed suit. "Yeah, what's with the whole 'closure' deal? Just tell us where the hell you've been hanging out this entire night."

"You know, you're the one to talk who disappeared the other day too without so much as a word." Sakura snarled back at the brunette.

She, in response, stayed quiet. Indeed, who was she to say anything? She's only branded as a hypocrite for acting this way.

"That's beside the point." Yamanaka retorted. "She's merely concerned for you. _We_ are concerned for you. We don't want to go all CSI on you, or have some kind of Sherlock to find out what happened to you."

Emerald orbs closed as she sighed again and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You're right, you're right and I'm sorry. Yesterday was just so tiring."

"You came here for obvious reasons to tell us, so… just tell us." Ino pushed her gently into confession. "Start with where you've been."

"Sasuke."

The surprise made them gasp, instantly they were sitting at either side of her. "And what… happened?"

Sakura's gaze stayed on the floor. "We argued." She shrugged, as if it wasn't to be expected. "He told me the same as in Las Vegas."

'_Which was that he loved her.' _Both Yamanaka and Hinosyuri thought.

"…And then he… well, he signed the divorce papers."

"WHAT?!" They screamed a little too loud.

"Yup, no longer an Uchiha, but back to the old Haruno."

"He signed the papers? Just like that?!" Ino gaped at her.

Sakura said nothing.

A pregnant silence fell.

"He divorced me because I asked him to let me go." Not a complete lie. "Then… then we…" She trailed off.

"Then you…?" Tenten continued.

"And then," She ended her sentence in the tiniest of voices. "…We slept together."

To say it fell quiet was an understatement.

That was, until Ino fainted.

"Oh my God, Ino!" That reaction came only from Sakura as she dropped to her knees next to the blonde's limp body. "Ino! Ino!" She patted her cheek. "Oh, shit, Ino wake up!" Nothing worked. "Tenten, help me!" She turned, only to find said woman in a state of frozen shock that could have been humorous if the situation was different.

She snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Earth to Tenten, do you copy?!"

It took at least 10 minutes for the two to return back to normal.

"I don't know why you reacted that way." Sakura was the one standing before the two woman now, glaring them down with her hands on her hips. Ino and Tenten looked like they were children getting scolded. "But it was no different than what Tenten did."

"Of course there's a difference!" Ino yelled, pointing a finger. "That was Tenten and Neji, you are a complete other case!"

"How so?"

"Well, with Neji and I there were no feelings involved… Sasuke told you he _loved_ ya, divorced you, and, well, took your virginity." Tenten wanted to cringe at the last part, not because she was disgusted but that she actually said it out loud that one has deflowered her best friend in such circumstances.

"He didn't take anything." She almost growled in reply. "I gave it to him, it was a mutual decision."

Ino made a face. "So you both just sat down and discussed that he was going to be your first?"

"Of course not! What are you, retarded? I don't know him but I wanted closure. Feelings lingered and we said goodbye that way." At this Sakura closed her eyes, a sad look covering her expression, almost regret.

Swallowing after a minute, Ino blinked. "Ok, so what did you guys do in the morning?"

The woman's composure turned rigid.

For the millionth time that morning did the eyes of the blond and brunette almost pop out of their sockets. "You didn't do anything?"

"I had to leave!"

"You left without speaking to him what happened?"

She only nodded her head in conformation.

"Shit, Sakura, you shouldn't have done that. Now he'll think you regret sleeping with him!"

"Which I do!"

"You just said it was a mutual decision!" Tenten pointed out.

"It was! But…" As she lowered her voice she also cast down her eyes. "I shouldn't have done it. I should have just gone, force him to sign the papers while all the while ignoring him and everything that left his mouth."

As emotional as she always was, she couldn't have denied Sasuke even if she wanted to. Every time that he said that he loved made her heart cry out to him in return and made bit by bit her brain go numb. She went to his house with her mind fully intact, blocking her heart and emotions out for no matter what, but it seems they out best her anyway. By the time that she returned his kisses and moaned his name for the first time, she was already brain dead and it was her heart that made her act in that manner. She was hopeless. Hopeless for Sasuke. And that was the very last time that she would be exactly that for him. There is no repeating of last night.

"I didn't want to sleep with him, I didn't. But in the end, it turned out that I was too weak. I've sworn though from the moment I stepped out of his house, that I'll never be weak for him ever again. I wont allow him to have my emotions in the palm of his hands. I won't ever."

Ino stood from her place to hug her friend. "And we'll be there to help you out, Miss Haruno."

"Yeah," Tenten jumped to join them. "You can count on us, Haruno slash Senju!"

Sakura smiled when they had a group hug.

"So," Ino began. "How was he in bed?"

That question earned her a hard punch in the shoulder by Tenten.

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Karin smiled when she opened his bedroom door. It was still quite early and she was at least a day earlier home than expected, but she doubts that he'll mind. The whole mansion was empty, and they got the rest of the weekend for themselves.

He was still in bed, she mused. Though normally he would be up in this time around because Sasuke was never someone who slept very long.

Unbeknown to her, that was the first thing wrong in the environment.

Walking closer to him, she noticed that he was asleep disarrayed and on the wrong side of the bed. He must have taking advantage of owning the whole bed for himself.

It was the second thing wrong.

And his arm was thrown on the occupied side of the bed, probably missing her.

Ignorant of all these, she slipped out of her pumps and climbed on the bed. She shoved the Bordeaux colored sheets away from his upper body and kissed his naked shoulder blade.

His hand moved, slightly searching for something.

Then she kissed and licked the backside of his neck, enjoying the clean scent of his hair.

His eyebrow moved, his hand continued to search the empty spot beside him.

She went on higher and lightly sucked on his earlobe.

He made a groaning sound.

Huskily she giggled in his ear, then proceeded to kiss a spot right behind it.

He groaned again. "…Sakura."

She practically jumped off the bed.

'_Wha-what did he just say?'_

It was only now that she noticed what she just missed. It was almost eight in the morning. Sasuke was always already awake by that time, _unless_ he had sex the night before. He always slept on his side of bed even if he was alone on it. And then there was that searching hand.

She should have known it from the moment she stepped inside his bedroom. He had slept with somebody and she just caught the answer of Sasuke himself with who. That dirty, sneaky, filthy whore! She probably had people telling her that she was out of town so she could come and seduce Sasuke into his bed. And knowing that he was all willingly, it was just the perfect set-up.

Oh no, Karin will not have it. Sakura could very much go fuck herself. How dare she come and screw Sasuke like the little slut she is on the same bed that Sasuke…

Clenching the end of her skirt, she stormed out of his room, leaving him sleeping in bed.

This little game will be over.

'_Checkmate.' _She hissed in her head. _'To the victor goes the spoils.'_

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Needless to say Sasuke was disappointed when he woke up. An unfamiliar empty gap was left behind in his chest that she took with her departure.

Everything was suddenly so quiet without her here, even if she stayed for a span of a couple of hours, he was immediately certain that she belonged in this house, in this room, in his bed. But now there was only silence.

For the first time in his entire 26 years of existence was he bothered with the silence around him. It continued to annoy him when he was in the shower. He rather would have not, showering that is, because Sakura's delicious fragrance was all over him, and he would have continued to catch sniffs of his own skin just so her scent would stay longer imprinted in his mind, if it wasn't so unhygienic.

The silence was still irritating when he dressed and also when he went down the stairs to catch a cup of coffee.

It was when he reached his kitchen that his mind was instantly buzzed away from the remaining quietness.

He had never felt this nervous before. He had difficulties with swallowing all of a sudden and though he just showered, he could feel sweat forming on his brow –that's how nervous he felt- and his hands turned clammy. He lost his sense of reasons for just a moment, he lost his cool demeanor for at least 5 whole seconds and of surprise he took an actual step back.

He forced himself not to stammer or sound like a fool, but he couldn't quite keep the shocked tone out of it.

"Karin."

She blinked up to him, slowly, angry. "Who did you expect? God?"

"No." He didn't need to answer that for they both knew it was a rhetorical question, but he had a feeling that if he didn't say something, the look in her crimson orbs would only become more vicious than they already were.

He cursed in his mind. What was she doing here? Wasn't she supposed to be out of town or at her parents or something till tomorrow evening if not Monday morning? Even more dreadful questions entered his head. Since when was she here? Did… did she see Sakura? Did she know at all?

He didn't want any more problems than he already had.

"You were asleep till remarkably late today."

She knew. She has got to know.

"I had a late night because of Naruto yesterday." Smooth, he complimented himself, really smooth. Even if she did know he'll won't be the first one to admit.

Upon looking at her he thought how everything in his life turned about now. He never felt the love back for Karin after their almost wedding.

He tried to, really, because she was still the woman who could make him forget all the troubles in the world with the simplest of touches, but that was also it. This, whatever they had, was merely physical. And he did want to have the emotions that what he used to feel for her, he did. Hell, he stayed with Karin even after Sakura returned and after the Hyuuga party; that was him trying.

But there was nothing. Only sex.

As he slowly –and in the beginning reluctantly- realized that he had feelings for Sakura that he was supposed to have for Karin, nothing worked. As selfish as he may be, he wasn't making anybody happy with his decisions he was optioning; getting jealous in front of Karin for Sakura because of either his own brother of Kiki, storming out of parties because of said jealousy, almost fighting on beaches, making love with Sakura on the same bed he always spent his nights with Karin.

There was no use in letting Karin on that there was going to grow anything between them again. Their flower withered a long time ago. Keeping her on a leash was only inconvenient for them both. It would be best if he broke it off now; when the house was empty with no servants to eavesdrop or birds to whisper on the news.

After what happened between Sakura and him he had made up his mind. He was going to fight for her, and that would be a hard task in accomplishing that if he was held back because of another woman.

"Karin, I-"

"Before you say anything Sasuke, I want you to know that I forgive you." In a blink of an eye, her strangely angered face magically switched into a sweet smile.

"Forgive me for what?" She was probably going to confront him sleeping with Sakura now.

"For sleeping on my side of the bed, of course." She giggled. "I don't know what got into you that you've slept there but there's a secret I know now of you when you are alone." She grinned, walking over to the machinery on kitchen island. "Coffee?"

Sasuke didn't know why her attitude went from fury to housewife gentle in one minute.

Without getting an answer from him, she went about to get the coffee machine ready, but as soon as she wanted to refresh the pot, she hastily put it back on place. Murmuring, she put her hand against her mouth. "I can't stand the smell of it."

Because the muffling of her hand, Sasuke didn't hear her last comment, but shrugged it away.

"Karin… I thought you would be back tomorrow."

"Uh-huh, that's true. But because I finished my business quickly, and I didn't want to hear my father whining in my head that I should visit more often, and I missed you terribly, I returned back. Nice surprise, ne?"

Sasuke merely blinked stoically. "What did you actually do there?"

She refused to say anything for at least 2 seconds, then went to check the cupboards. "Maybe I should make a pie," She ignored him. "It's been years since I've baked one. Oh, and maybe some cookies too for your parents and Naruto when I see them Monday. I'll make chocolate chip cookies, that's everybody's favorite." She talked more to herself than to him. "Too bad there is no such thing as Ramen-cookies. Naruto'll love them."

Oh no, she won't be seeing Naruto or anyone Monday. By that time she'd be out of his life.

"Karin, listen, you know this isn't going to work." It's better if he just put it out there; straight to the point.

"You're right." Her hands went to her hair. "I can't bake a pie, I don't even know how many eggs should be in it, and I'll only burn the cookies. I can't even do a thing as simple as this, let alone-"

"No, Karin," He wouldn't let her finish, it would have been best if he did though. "That's not what I meant. What I meant is, that…" He didn't know how to say this. He never actually dumped a woman like this. Most of his relations were only of one night and in the morning he'd leave the women to their own business. It was never on a scale like this.

He should probably say what actually went down. "I divorced yesterday."

Karin's face instantly lit up and Sasuke opened his mouth to continue but she beat him to it. "That's wonderful news, Sasuke!" She almost squealed. Her expression turned somewhat if not a little bit serious after that.

"Before you say anything more, Sasuke, I've got something to tell you."

Her plan was going to work no matter what.

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Sakura felt… happy. Maybe more in the area of content but she felt good.

It was a beautiful day, the weather not all too clammy. She was in the mall with her two best friends, buying some new clothes that they highly needed in their closet. Well, Ino a little less than the other two but that's a given.

It was more the sudden inner peace she felt. It was like a heavy weight has been lifted from her shoulders, after she came home from Sasuke 2 days ago. She even made another date with Kiki this weekend.

"And so he fell flat on his ass, just because he tripped over a twig, a damn twig!" Tenten showed them with her fingers how thin the mentioned twig was. "It was ridiculous and comical, I swear I've never laughed so loud in public."

Ino grinned beside her. "I would have too. Who trips over a twig as thick as my pinky? Anyway, you guys wanna go and do our nails?"

"My nails always break after three days." Tenten protested, slightly whining.

"That's because you never take care of them as a lady."

"You're saying I'm treating my nails as a man?"

"Exactly."

Sakura just knew there was going to be an argument between them, but it was always so fun to see.

"You little bitch!"

"Geez, Tenten, you've got to relax. Maybe it's best if you pay Hyuuga Neji another visit."

Tenten fumed turning crimson, whether it was because of rage or embarrassment, Sakura didn't know. But that could have been because she was laughing too hard alongside Ino.

When their laughter died down a little the emerald eyed female responded. "Sure, Ino let's do our nails." She stole a tear of joy away from her eye. "I don't want to go home yet anyway."

Hinosyuri stayed quiet as she went along to do their nails. The nail salon wasn't too busy but they still had to wait for their turn.

"Maybe I should take a pedicure." Tenten spoke after 15 minutes. "Maybe I _can_ handle my toe nails as an effing lady."

Ino almost snorted. That didn't stop the dead wish that she got shot her way in any case.

"Is it just me but it is getting freakishly hot in here by al the mental dagger throwing." Ino didn't even turn to her friend to know that the brunette was staring a hole in her head.

"Oh, believe me, I can throw daggers at you for real." And she really could.

"Okay," Sakura jumped from her seat, earning both of their attention. "I'm going to get some milkshakes to cool both of you down. It is a too nice of a day to be arguing about the most lamest thing like teenagers."

"We're no teenagers!" They cried in choir.

Sakura smiled, feeling too well to be angry at anything today. "What do you guys want?"

"Strawberries." Both said again. A look was thrown across.

"Lemon!" They were still saying exactly the same.

Sakura could feel the electricity between their eyes cracking and hear their minds growling.

"Chocolate!"

"Banana!"

That made her smile widen. "Banana and chocolate it is then." She turned out of the salon. "Keep watch of my seat." She told them behind her shoulder.

She practically skipped over to a ice cream stand that surprisingly sold the best milkshake of this side of Miami. They beat McDonalds!

Before reaching there, her eyes glued on a small but cute boutique that held one of the most gorgeous little black dress that she has ever seen. It was nothing impressive, she noted, but she was sure that if she'd wear it, it'll be totally sexy.

"I want it."

On the other hand she didn't exactly needed to pursuit the dress, for there wasn't any special occasion coming any time soon that she was aware of. But it was simply so sinfully beautiful, it would be a true sin if she didn't just buy it.

Her nose practically squashed on the window shield, milkshakes long forgotten, she thought that she is going to buy it.

"Ouch!"

She bumped into someone though.

"Look out where you're walking next time, I'm in a delicate state!"

"Sorry…" She murmured still entranced by the dress. She barely looked up and continued on her marry way. That dress is going to be hers.

"Well, well, if it isn't _Miss_ Haruno Sakura." The same voice stopped her this time.

Slowly said woman turned around only to be met by piercing crimson hues that matched her hair.

"Sarina Karin."

"Ha, good that you remembered the name, girl. But I suppose you must recall the one you used to serve as a maid, right, servant?" With a sideways sneer, she mockingly laughed.

A glare easily come on Sakura's face upon hearing what Karin had to say. "Right at back you, it's very good that someone of _your_ caliber remembered my name. But I suppose you must do exactly that, especially if it is the very name of Sasuke's wife."

"_Ex_-wife. I heard you finally had the nerve to step up. And here I was thinking you were merely being a coward, hiding behind Kiki's back." Her face became an ugly crunch when she said his name.

"I bet that was not the only thing you heard." Sakura couldn't help but to let a smirk grace her lips.

Karin dug her nails in her hands. She knew exactly what she meant; that they slept together. "Yes, I am aware that you forced yourself on him like the slut you are. Doesn't surprise me though. He did it with you merely because he pitied you." As convincing as she tried to overcome, the scowl on the redhead's face didn't do the trick.

The rosette knew she was lying only to provoke her. Not that it was working. "You can tell that to yourself as much as you want until you believe in it, but I know the truth. Qua forcing, it was more, shall I say _completely_ the other way around. While he kept telling me, repeatedly no less, that he loved me." She could have laughed at her expression.

"Out of my way, Karin, I don't have time for your bullshit." She walked past her.

But right before she passed her shoulder the Sarina spoke again. "And when, in the course that he was fucking you sideways and back, if he supposedly loved you, why didn't he tell you, then?"

Sakura sighed and turned to her, prepared to get her off her back once and for all. "Tell me what?" She could try, she really could put the effort to try and get her mad if not sad. But it was just another lie to get her angry in any way.

"That I'm pregnant. For three months already."

An evil sadistic smile formed its way on her face, her eyes resembled the spewing red flames of hell.

"I'm pregnant with Sasuke's child."

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**DO NOT KILL ME!**

**I just KNOW there are people, probably most of y'all, who wants to kill me, and you have all the right to do so too. I mean... Karin is pregnant, and YES she's pregnant of Uchiha Sasuke and no other, or else I would have let you know. So don't make any suspicions and such saying that maybe she cheated again, no she is for real in child of him.**

**Repeating: DO. NOT. KILL. ME.**

**Unless you don't want another thrilling and most definitely interesting chapter after this, you should not kill poor little ol' me.**

**This is the first I've written a lemon and published it. I am so scared, and yes it is totally and completely lame, but I will try with all my might to change that.**

**Now I'll go and fear for my life. Success to y'all who fuming.**

**Wish I could send milkshakes or heart-shaped pancakes to all of ya!**

**R & R**

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'_But I wont stop until that boy is mine.' – _**Lady GaGa '****Paparazzi'**

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada _

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_Stay tuned for next time_

_Same Site, Same Story_

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	15. Hate

**A/N; I know I let you guys wait too long, and I even said that I wanted this chapter out **_**before**_** 2009 was over, but alas, I wanted to add more things to this chapter, which in my point of view, could only be a good thing for you guys. Then I promised some readers that I will be getting this chapter updated before January was over, and voila! I did. Isn't that great news? **

**Many questions went around about pregnancies, marriages and when I was going to kill Karin. I think the latter is something every hardcore SasuSaku shipper wants to do for real. I like that. Hehe. But I hope things get clear with this chappie.**

**I want to thank EVERYBODY who reviewed, I think I'm getting addicted to those. This chapter is for you; **_**Hate**_**.**

**Oh yeah, Happy belated New Year everybody!**

**Disclaimer:**** Do we have to go through this every freaking time? I own. Hands down. So sue me. **

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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'_I love you, and because I love you I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies.' -__** Pietro Aretino**_

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Karin's smile was just there; it was mean. It was evil. It was mocking. It was smug. It was meant to hurt.

And hurt it did.

They say that just before you die, you see your life flash before your eyes.

Did anyone also ever heard that when your heart is crushed, in that single second of all moments, words and feelings of your loved one flashes through your head? And the very second after that your realize that every moment, ever sentence and ever touch, all of them, was a lie.

That's exactly what went through Sakura.

The first reaction from her, past the shock and the first stab of pain, was denial.

"You're lying." She whispered. Her throat was stricken and panic rushed through her veins which made it unable for her to speak any louder than she was. "You're lying."

Karin chuckled happily. There was no other feeling of euphoria right now for her to see Sakura's reaction to this. She couldn't be any more content, glad or happy right now, not even a Sasuke-induced orgasm could beat this feeling -and that is saying tremendously lot because we _are_ speaking about a Sasuke-induced orgasm- to see the pink bitch in front of her looking as she was. This victorious feeling of knowing that Sakura had lost, that she had-once again-won over Sasuke from her and that he will stay with her forever.

The grief, the hurt, the betrayal, the pain, the torture, she saw it all pass in the emerald eyes of the little whore. And all of it made Karin want to laugh. Oh yes, laugh really hard, laugh in the woman's face, point at her nose and grin so hard she'd fear that her face will split in two.

"I can assure you, missy," Teeth gleamed in the light, "I'm not. I am pregnant of Sasuke, _Uchiha Sasuke's_ child. I can even explain to you how amazing he was when it happened. But I'm sure you _somewhat_ got the taste of it."

Sakura's eyes were big and shaking. Next through her was disbelief.

She was unwilling to grasp any of what Karin was saying, to know what Sasuke did… was incredulous."I-I do not-"

"Believe me? Of course you don't sweet-cake." Karin giggled behind her hand. "Then don't believe me, but believe the ebony-haired, crimson-eyed baby with the last name Uchiha that will be born later."

Sakura was suddenly trembling, taking a step back. The next thing through her was sadness.

All what Sasuke did, all what Sasuke said, was fake. No matter how much divorced she was, how much 'over' him she told herself that she was, not matter how much she wanted to forget him… this hurt.

All she wanted was to have Sasuke out of her freaking life once she came back to Miami. She needed to divorce to _finally_ forget him. He hurt her badly in the first part of her life and she escaped-no, _separated_ from him for a year to heal herself and know her true roots. He'd hurt her with Karin then, and now, thinking she was strong enough for anything and everything related to Sasuke, they slept together and _this_ happens. He'd hurt her with Karin again.

Again.

Her knees almost bucked and her eyes hurt.

"Aww, you're not going to cry are you?" Karin asked mockingly, more like twisting the knife that she cruelly and personally stabbed in her heart than actually asking, speaking as if to a child.

Breathe, Sakura thought, she needed to breathe. But breath was hard to push through the knot that formed in her throat. As long as she was in Karin's presence she needed to stay strong. If she appeared weak and helplessly started to cry then Karin would win.

But the damage was already done, the victor was already rejoicing, the pain was already evident. She has been hurt and humiliated, and that all because of a man she didn't even want anymore.

"You can run away crying your defected heart out now, Miss Haruno." Her tone was calm, no hint of smugness or sadism in it. She sounded only serious though, serious, stern and low.

When Sakura opened her emerald hues-not even noticing that she has closed them-and looked up at the counter female, she saw that her expression matched her tone. Her red orbs were narrowed, lips in a grim flat line, arms crossed, legs spread and steady on place.

It was her cue to turn and leave. She wasn't crying, yet, her eyes weren't filled with salty liquid. It took only one last glance to her belly, knowing what is growing in there, for her to turn her back and walk hastily to her car.

Last but not least, acceptance went through her.

Why should she be hurt by Uchiha anyway? It was all in the past, he had every right to sleep with anybody or everybody he damn well pleases. What they shared was _just_ a goodbye-fuck. She knew that the moment they hit the bed.

All she had to do was shrug it off and continue with her life and let him live his.

Even telling herself this then why, oh why, did her chest ache this indescribable much?

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Brunette female growled. "Fucking bitch!"

The people in the bus all turned their faces towards a very gloomy Tenten. A cloud of darkness was practically visible above her head. The blond beside her laughed nervously to the other passengers and waved her hand in the air as to say not to mind her companion.

An old lady, who sat before them, scolded hard at the both of them and turned back to cover her 8 year old grandson's ears with her hands. Not that he was paying much attention in the slightest; his eyes were glued on the Nintendo DS in his hands.

"Really, Tenten, if you're going to curse then at least do it softly. There are people who mind." She gave a pointed look to the grandmother.

Still huffing with her arms crossed angrily, she threw her face to the other side. "Does it look like I give a shit?" She snarled. "You should be upset too, like me. Sakura can't very much do this to us."

Ino blinked a moment. "Yes, you're right." And she was. The Hinosyuri had every right to be mad -throwing a fit in a public bus or not- but somehow Ino wasn't feeling it. She couldn't, for the life of her, find any trace of fury in her body, no matter how hard she tried. And just believe that she was trying. "But… don't you find her act a little suspicious?"

This got to Tenten's interest, if only a little. Anger was clouding her better judgment. "Suspicious how? That she left on purpose without saying so much as a word? Yeah, suspicious alright. It was mean and a bitchy thing to do."

Ino knew Sakura better than this. "No, not that." She paused a second, needing to have a straight eye-contact with her friend. "Don't you have a bad feeling about all of this?"

"N-" Tenten stopped short. If she really thought about it then… "…Maybe."

"This doesn't feel good in the slightest. I'm dreading to go to her house now… just having a feeling that…" She trailed off, her facial expression said it all.

"When we get there there's only trouble. I'm feeling ya." It took her awhile but once she was over the anger in her body she understood it too.

At least an hour later they were in front of the doors of the Senju villa. When stepping in, they didn't hear a single sound, but they know at least she was home; her car was parked in the front.

"Where could she be?" Ino had the need to whisper, it was too eerily quiet to speak any louder.

"How about her room?" Tenten offered, also talking softly though not yet whispering.

They nodded to one another and set towards Sakura's bedroom. Ino quickly glued her ear on the surface of the honey-colored door once they got there, checking if she heard a sound, anything.

"Noppes, nada." The blond shook her head. "Not even some of her music."

The brown haired female crunched her nose and furrowed her brow. "We're going in." She roughly opened said door and was greeted with total darkness.

All the curtains were shut, not even letting one shimmer of light pass. No TV or radio was on, all was quiet.

The two had to blink twice and take a good look around the room for a moment, till they noticed that there was a remarkable lump below the sheets of the bed. Eyebrows were raised. They switched a glance at each other before another step was made. She was there alright, in her bed under the covers in the dark.

Something was most definitely wrong.

Tenten signaled that the Yamanaka would go to the pink haired while she would let light get through in here. Nodding, they continued.

"Sakura?"

There was no movement from the bed, still complete quietness.

"Sakura… are you alright?" Just as Ino touched the covers, Tenten opened the curtains, rays of sunlight came in from the setting sun.

They could feel the gloomy atmosphere peeling off from the lump on the bed that was far more worse than Tenten earlier in the bus. The two gulped. Quietly and softly Ino began taking the covers from Sakura's head.

"Sakura, what's going on?"

The woman's face was buried in the pillows, making it impossible for them to see her expression. She was still, barely breathing at all.

"Sakura, we know you're awake. Just turn to us." Or we will turn yaself for you. Tenten added in her mind.

There was nothing; if the rise and fall of her back didn't calm their fears, they would have thought that she was dead.

Ino was getting irritated. "Ok, I have enough of this crap, Sakura-"

Slowly but surely, the Haruno turned towards the two standing females. They slightly gasped when they saw her state. Her face was overall wet and smudges of her mascara were below her eyes. Said eyes were red and swollen, her nose was puffy and dripping, and her cheeks red and raw.

She has been crying for _hours_.

Before each of them could say anything, Sakura began.

"She's pregnant."

The shock was well splashed on the two faces. Again, before they could express their surprise or question anything, Sakura beat them to it.

"Sarina Karin. She's pregnant of Sasuke's child. She is _pregnant_." She whisper-hissed the word. "Of Uchiha Sasuke. A while now." She spoke in hushed breaths, the tears not affecting her voice, strangely enough.

It went silent after that. Nobody spoke or moved a muscle. All three women diverted each others eyes as much as possible. Tenten and Ino knew very well with what Sakura meant when she said that Karin is pregnant for a while now. She was already pregnant when she and Sasuke slept together. They couldn't even begin to imagine what Sakura was going through right now, knowing that the man she gave herself up for and told her he loved her had flat out lied to her. That he knew Karin was pregnant and that he said nothing about it just to fool her.

Discovering this, Tenten's own heart swelled in pain and tears almost gathered in her eyes. And they would have filled and fallen if she hadn't bit her lip, squeeze her hands tight and forced them back from where they came from. This hurt. It hurt even her, let alone the pain Sakura surely was having.

For Ino, swallowing and breathing normally seemed like the most difficult task at the moment. As she, too, came to the realization what is going on with her friend and what that piece of information did to the woman's heart.

Despite knowing that the betrayal and sadness had already taken over Sakura's heart, Ino didn't want to trace places with her for no any amount of money in the world. _She_ felt a cruel stab in the chest knowing this about Karin, what her pink haired friend must be going through is at the least a hundred times more worse.

All was so lost in thought and sorrow that they didn't notice that the silence between them was going on for almost fifteen minutes now, that was until a heavy and dreadful question shot into the blonde's mind.

"Sakura…" She broke the quietness, but she actually had no idea how to say this. "About… uhm, well," It is best if she just put it out there. "About pregnancies. You're not… you know… are you?"

Soulless, empty eyes slowly glided its gaze towards the Yamanaka. Sakura stayed quiet a moment too long, and already shock filled their heads again. But they waited with baited breath for the confirmation from herself.

"No."

…She was… not…?

"I'm not pregnant of him. I am on the pill for months." She wiped her nose against the palm of her hand. "And I took morning-after pill as precaution that day."

That was the only thing she said before she turned her back to them and raised the covers over her shoulder. "Leave me. I want to be left alone. One of you tell Tsunade," She didn't even call her 'mother' like always. "About my predicament. Tell her something, any of you or whatever. I don't want to be disturbed for any reasons."

And they knew, silently, that she didn't even want anyone in here even if the villa caught on fire.

-

-

-

* * *

Days were void of everything. There was no colors, no taste, no sounds. All lost its meaning. Days went by and Sasuke had no single grasp of what was going on around him.

The bomb that Karin thrown was everything except happily received.

By everyone.

His father reacted like he always reacts when hearing news; whether it's ill or the opposite does not matter, he didn't react at all.

But Sasuke knew better than to believe his father was both apathetic inside and out. How he knew that neither his father liked what he just received was the way that he didn't blink for a moment too long and crossed his arms. The lack of the infamous 'hn' told a great deal that the old Uchiha did absolutely _not_ like what he was hearing.

His mother, the kind woman he knew she was, had a loss of words for quite a while. She stared, swallowed, clasped her hands together quietly and forced the fake smile on her lips. She congratulated them but did not say anything akin to 'I am happy for you two,' like he knew she would say. She didn't come to him to hug them both and pinch him in the cheeks annoyingly as she always did when something memorable happened.

No, she stood there, right next to her husband smiling away so tightly that he may fear her face would have cracked if someone would have touched her.

His brother was always a show in itself. One would think that he would be the same as his father, but Uchiha Itachi is one unpredictable motherfucker, who has a different reaction for everything.

This time, he raised his chin slightly, looking Karin up and down. Sasuke just knew what he was thinking; Karin cheated and was pregnant of another once, how would he know that this is not exactly the same, only this time she says that it is Sasuke's child. He had a point, Sasuke agreed, but for Karin to become pregnant of another man and risk to get discovered by a blood-test and result that the child is not his, is tremendously huge, not to forget stupid. With the technology these days, things like that is not impossible.

Sasuke knew that as soon as the suspicion came in his brother's head, as quick he had also answered his own questions.

Then Itachi glanced up at Sasuke, sending him in that glance that he wanted to say something bold and most probably rude, but for the benefit of their mother and _maybe _-heavy emphasis on that maybe- for Karin's feelings he prevented from doing so.

He just looked the other way then, just barely shrugging; disinterested behavior.

Nope, Itachi had nothing for the news or else there would be _at_ _least_ a glimpse of a smirk.

Karin was oblivious to this all of course. Thinking each of them approved greatly.

Sasuke always knew better.

The raven haired dropped another news flash then. Reluctantly so, too. But he did because his parents and brother were already here -much thanks to Karin's phone calls- and it had to be for the baby news.

The most unexpected incomprehensible reaction of all of them was his brother's. He whipped his head with the speed of lightning towards Sasuke once he heard him say that he was divorced.

For years on end had Sasuke trained himself to properly read both his father and Itachi, and he could now safely say that besides his mother, he was a pro at it. There was no façade or sound that they could create that Sasuke did not instantly understand. But at that very moment, the expression Itachi had once his much longer bangs fell from his face, Sasuke could not, in any lifetime, comprehend him at all. Till even this day, he had no clue.

The look Itachi shot was fierce and narrowed for the most shortest nanosecond before he let out a strange sound that seemed like a snort and a 'che' mixed together, briefly. Had Sasuke blinked he would have missed it, before his brother turned completely and walked away. While still in ear-shot he said, "_Do whatever you like. It is your life, foolish little brother._"

The last time Itachi called him foolish, was when he messed something up.

Caught up so much in his brother's shocking actions he completely forgot what his parents said and did.

That was all days ago. He didn't break the happy-go-family news to his friends yet. Everything about him was on autopilot. He woke up as early as possible in the morning, leaving Karin still asleep, went to the office, ignored or shrugged off Naruto as much as possible, came out of the office as late as possible, bought some Chinese food on the way home and more often than not he found her already asleep. Just as he wanted it.

That was his daily routine. Files were signed, rapports were typed but nothing of that was done with real attention.

Uchiha Sasuke was seriously out of it. All was out, all except one:

Sakura.

How will she react when she hears this? Surely one way or another she _is_ going to hear about it no matter how much he wants to hide it. How could he have wished to fight for her love if his plans already broke before they even formed?

That thought constantly crossed his head.

Sakura.

"Say Sasuke-teme are you even listening to me?" The bastard. So he was talking about the latest budgets, numbers and clients for over the last half hour for nothing.

"No."

Naruto was very much tempted to throw all his pens, markers and his laptop at the ebony haired male. He sighed and closed aforementioned laptop, leaning back against one of Sasuke's chairs. "Okay, tell me this minute without bullshit and ignoring me what crawled up your ass and died." Again. He almost rolled his eyes at the afterthought.

Sasuke graced his best friend a glance before he stood from behind his huge desk, walking towards the window. Dry-cleaned, dark blue suit and blood red tie almost shined in the light in all its perfectness. Naruto assumed this was his last suit he had left because he already wore all the black ones.

"I know brooding is your signature move and all, but it isn't really helping." Sasuke made no reaction that he even heard him. He just stood there, in front of his huge window that served as a wall. "Hey, has it anything to do with divorcing Sakura the other day?"

_Worse_. "Karin's pregnant." He stated it monotone, too cold even. A fact.

Naruto froze on spot. _Holy shit,_ she is pregnant.

There came an awkward pause, at least awkward on Naruto's part. How he wished he drank some spoiled milk, like the nth times, just so he could run off to the toilet and stay there the entire day right now.

Was he supposed to congratulate him, to say something? But it would be false and unwelcomed even, especially since he knew what the man harbored for another woman.

"I slept with Sakura the same day we divorced."

Now, if Naruto was drinking some milk right this minute, he would have choked on it, spit it back out and sputtered for breath. But he wasn't, so he only choked on air.

"Hu-wha-how-when-are you outta ya freaking mind?!" Naruto yelled, raising to his feet as well. How could Sasuke do that? How could he sleep with Sakura? Where does he gets the guts, how does he get it in his mind to do such a thing? With Sakura? Was he serious? He shouldn't have ever done it.

What was that dumbass' problem all of a sudden? What's with the screaming? He knew the answer though, why Naruto was so angry, but he had no right in asking in the first place. He sneered. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You _know_ what I feel for her."

"Yeah and you also knew what _she_ thought about _you_." Naruto clenched he hands. He knew Sasuke, oh he knew Sasuke all too well. There was no need of CSI to know that Sasuke was loving and lusting after Sakura for far too long. But she always made it clear that she didn't want him, hell if not taking him immediately when she returned to Miami was not a hint, then he didn't know what was, but of course, the ass-fucker couldn't give a shit. If there was anything that infuriated Naruto about Sasuke it was his ignorance towards people's feelings and wishes, such as he did by sleeping with Sakura. He just knew it.

"What she _thought_ of me before that doesn't matter or else us sleeping together never happened."

"I can't believe you, you are such an insolent, egoistic, jackass. When I call you a bastard, most of the time, I mean it." This was really the last drop. How could Sasuke, his best friend Sasuke, be a prick like this? Sakura didn't want him, he himself told him so. Sakura went there to get a divorce, a simple divorce, he himself told so, she was _just_ there for a divorce and he had to be himself and turn around seducing her to sleep with him. It was not the part that Sasuke slept with her that made Naruto so angry at him, but it was that he was the one tempting her to sleep with him in the first place even if she clearly made out she wanted nothing to do with him. Sasuke should have left Sakura well enough alone, yet he didn't. He never does once he sets his mind on something. An Uchiha, right?

Sasuke didn't hear the blond correctly, surely because too much raging blood was rushing past his ears. He stormed towards the Uzumaki, roughly pushed him against the desk, making several objects fall off and grabbed him by the coat of his suit and lifted him up and into his face. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me." Both their voices became a low growl of anger. They were both seriously pissed off; it was one thing for Sasuke to talk quietly and threateningly but a complete another for loudmouth Naruto to do the same. "A lowlife asshole that is what you are. You didn't consider, even a bit, what Sakura's feelings were at all when you started seducing her, did you? You just simply did your thing because you wanted her."

"You know nothing of what happened." Sasuke snarled. "Don't act as if you do. If Sakura didn't want me in the first place she would've stand her ground. And to make it even more crystal clear for you, horse-shit, she didn't."

"Of course you didn't care if she did yes or no. You would have done it anyway. All you wanted was her. All you ever wanted was her. You were inconsiderate, as always." He was selfish. He always was. He should _not_ have slept with her.

"I did it because she didn't resist me, she wanted me as much as I wanted her. I did it because I love-"

"And did you hear if she returned it back?!" Naruto cut him off, the man wasn't getting the picture.

Sasuke stayed quiet for a moment.

"She didn't have to. Sleeping with me was enough."

"You don't see it, do you?" Naruto pushed the Uchiha away from him. "She didn't came there to tell you that she loved you, she came to _divorce_ you, damn it. To end everything with you. Off all people, _how_ can you be so oblivious?"

"Then how the fuck do you explain what happened between the two of us that night, huh?" He started to raise his voice, "She was right there, the entire night. I gave her plenty of chances to go, but she did not. She gave herself up for me."

"And that she just gave, you, naturally, took. And look what happened, she didn't stay, did she?" Naruto knew she left Sasuke in his bedroom, or else she would be in his mansion still till this very day. "And stop to check the situation now; Karin's pregnant. You're breaking Sakura more than ever."

"Sakura doesn't know."

"But she will. Eventually. How do you think she'll react? If you kept your damn hands to yourself and your dick in your pants, none of this would have happened." The blond just barely restrained himself from punching the man.

He walked to the door, determent to cool off before he does something he'll regret. He lingered a moment though. "I always saw you as a big brother of mine, Sasuke. But when it comes down to it, I hope you suffer a great deal more than her."

Sasuke turned back to his window, hearing his secretary bid Naruto a good day and left off.

It was kind of early if you considered the other times he and Naruto used to continue with work for hours on end, and especially now since the fact of going home for him was more a nuisance than a relief.

His body was still heated of the argument he and the Uzumaki just had and it seemed it wasn't going to calm down soon either. He leaned his forehead on the glass, trying to calm his head. He needed to do some kind of meditation crap people seem to do when frustrated, but the more he forced his mind to clear the more he thought about his situation all together.

He walked to his desk a moment later and punched the surface of it so hard a faint crack was heard and his laptop shook.

His office phone rang.

"What?!" He almost shouted.

His secretary was startled. Not used to hear his voice this harsh. Sasuke _never_ shouts. Ever. "Excuse me, Mr. Uchiha, but your brother is on line three."

He did not say anything more when he switched over to line three. "You better have something useful to say, Itachi."

"_Why so twitchy, little brother? I know you hardly wish to speak to me, but why the change?_"

He did not want this. "I said, you better have something useful to say."

There was something wrong with him, Itachi thought. That was his pissed off tone and he just _knew_ it was about Sakura. "_Mother and father are asking for our company tonight_."

This was new. "What for?"

"_That_ _is_ _information that neither I know. Mother just called me, said that she needed both you and I present tonight and that I had to inform you._"

"My house?"

"_Theirs._"

It was hardly often that they all visited their parents' house. Usually family meetings point was at Sasuke's. Their mother was not someone who wanted to force them to come at her so she forced herself to them. Both her sons had busy lives and she loved to invite herself over so they were always at Sasuke. That and their parents' home was vested almost at the edge of Miami.

But when they _are_ called towards their house, then the news is important, if not grave.

"_I suggest you leave Karin where she is. I heard Fugaku held little liking to her._"

"Hn." Not that he minded in the least, not at all. Karin was the last person he wanted to see.

"_Tonight at eight. Their house._"

Sasuke nodded in the phone even if his brother could not see it. Yet it didn't matter, he knew Itachi did the same before they simultaneously hang up.

He may be a great pessimist but he had to look at the bright side of the call; it took all the previous fury he couldn't get rid off away.

-

-

-

* * *

His Audi TT strolled in the front of his parents' mansion; a white complex that didn't pull too much attention, exactly how his parents preferred it. The same house that, when he was little, was his very own castle, a playground.

He was half an hour early, but already Itachi's Lexus was parked in the front. Uchiha standard; always come prior on time, earlier than that appointed time if possible. It was drilled into the two of them since they were children, among other things. A habit that would never die.

Beeping his car into lock, Sasuke went over to the front, the door opened by his mother before he could even reach it.

"Sasuke, honey, you're already here. Just five minutes after your dear brother arrived, too." Mikoto seemed jolly enough, the news that they were called for wasn't that bad. "I hope you haven't eaten as of yet." He hasn't. "I stalled dinner till eight until you two arrive." It was always the same song; whenever they were invited to their parents' house, they had dinner. Whether you ate something earlier didn't matter.

His father and Itachi were seated at the dining table, one sitting as far away from the other. There was a heavy silence between them and Sasuke wondered how his mother could have left them alone. Fugaku and Itachi didn't get along in the slightest and it was a wonder in itself that World War 3 didn't break out the moment they were left by themselves.

How ironic things have become, while a little over a decade ago Itachi was the apple of Fugaku's eye.

Sasuke placed himself in the vacant seat between his father and brother, just because he knew both would rather see him there than catch glimpses of each other.

Food was in front of them as soon as Mikoto sat down. "Gosh, it has been months since the last time that all my boys sat here dining at our house." She smiled, the woman always loved family moments, she was really sentimental. How she could have married a cold bastard as Fugaku was a mystery to everyone.

Itachi took a sip of his red wine. "You told me that you had something to discuss with us," He told his parents. "I see no other appropriate time than now to enlighten us."

Sasuke looked at them, fully paying attention. This had to be something. Mikoto glanced at her husband, said husband sighed. "Yes, there is something we need to discuss about. It's about both your futures." Fugaku gave Sasuke, for some reason, a knowing look.

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura had dragged her ass to the dining room because her blond mother insisted, more like blackmailed her. Since the beginning of the week, she had actually.

Being depressed had its inconveniences; such as beginning to smell. A lot. It has been days since she last showered, brushed her teeth and washed her hair. The only thing that forced her to get off from that bed was for sanitary facilities. Not even to eat; she had a wonderful family around her that sneaked food into her bedroom -without Tsunade knowing- so that she wouldn't starve herself to death.

But not today.

Today she was expected at the dinner table, at least looking a little presentable and having a shower. Though she did so, her facial expression was still depressed and more alike impassive.

"Ah, Sakura, how delightful that you decided to join us today." Shizune welcomed her happily, grinning from ear to ear. Sakura stayed blank, she didn't decide anything, she was threatened to be here. "And how wonderful you look!"

Tenten gave a harsh snort. Shizune kicked her in the shins. True, Sakura seemed like she would rather be buried with the dead but that didn't mean she could try to lighten up her spirits. And Hinosyuri wasn't helping.

"Sit, my dear, sit. I am sure you are hungry."

Tenten snorted. Shizune kicked her in the shins.

Despite the play before her, Sakura kept her solemn look and sat down anywhere.

Tsunade walked into the room, smiling slightly. "Great to have you here, Sakura. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me."

Sakura blinked in return.

The blond Senju sat down and signaled for the food to arrive. It was Sakura's favorite dish. She reluctantly began eating.

"I didn't want to intrude into your daily busy schedule," Tsunade spoke towards her daughter.

Tenten snorted harder at this. Shizune kicked her harder.

"But I think there needs a rapid change into it." She continued, ignoring the other two.

The rosette did not even raise her head towards her mother and lifted the fork to her lips. "Not gonna happen." She quietly murmured before chewing.

"Well, you must. An unexpected gathering is coming up in two weeks, and it would've set sooner if not all of us has strict business schedules."

It seems as if everybody was closely listening to her minus the pink haired female.

"Tsunade-sama, I do not know of this gathering." Shizune blinked confusedly.

"Of course not. The message came straight to me and, as I said, it is unexpected." She answered. "Nevertheless, it is of importance to dear Sakura over here."

"Me?" With widen orbs she looked up, finally saying something useful since she arrived.

"Yes. You."

"What is this gathering about?"

"The noble clans reinforcement gathering. A banquet ." Tsunade told her with a smirk.

Shocked looks were thrown to the blond.

"Now it sounds like something very formal and scary, I can assure you it is not. As you know, most clans have their own domestic traditions, rules, wealth, lands etcetera, but it is important that each head member of each clan know each other. For generations it is done, and as soon as all of the heirs reached their certain age, they'll take over the clans. Some are already doing so, but still needs to get the official title of the head of the clan. Hence this gathering."

"Okay, so these gatherings are always unexpected like this?" Tenten questioned.

"Well, yes. It was like this with me, so with my father and grandfather." Tsunade nodded before turning to Sakura. "Now it's your turn."

"Who organizes these gatherings anyways?" She asked, not because she was curious but more because she was annoyingly declining. She didn't want to go. Going meant that she had to get out of bed. Again.

"The Nara clan." Tsunade smiled. "Now they are not the noblest clans, but most of them are quite the geniuses and have lots of land under their name."

"Wait a minute… Nara, where does that sound familiar?" Tenten snapped her fingers. "Isn't that the name of Ino's boyfriend?"

"Yes he is. Though not a heir, but definitely a prodigy. Too bad it is rumored that he doesn't like to do anything."

"Didn't Ino say that he was the one who designed a program that made stealing movies and music on the internet impossible?" Shizune took a bite from her eel.

"Uh-huh, and now he's designing a program so that one _is_ able to steal music and movies from internet." The brunette responded.

"That is a total contradiction."

"He said that life and internet would be too boring and troublesome if you couldn't." She shrugged. "It still made him a millionaire, regardless."

"When and where is this banquet?" Sakura interrupted them, kind of snapping, back onto topic.

"As I said, over two weeks."

"Yes, and where exactly?"

The blood took a sip of her drink. "We're going back to Japan, everyone."

-

-

-

* * *

- **Two weeks later, Nara-Ken exclusive conference hall, Nara Prefectural Urban Park, Japan-**

**

* * *

  
**

It was amazing at how many people were walking around, all of them with the crest of their clan in any form and size presentable. Her mother told her that in the time of her own grandfather, everyone had to come in traditional kimonos. That tradition was broken now in modern time, hence why every clan's crest was differently shown. Most men had their logo on their arms or backs and some even a small symbol on their chest pockets. With women there were all sizable variations and mostly of them had it as jewels. Necklaces, bracelets, watches and others even rings. Some females _did_ appear in beautiful kimonos with the clan's crest on their backs, and to Sakura's revelation it were the Hyuuga women.

What she also realized was the members of the Uchiha clan who were walking around.

_Of course_ Uchiha clan was present. She could have hit her head on a wall once she saw the first Uchiha clansmen walk past her. That fan on their backs taunted her, mocked her and frightened her.

And _of course_ the heir has to be here, shouldn't he? Though she has yet to see him that doesn't mean that she won't be doing _everything_ in her power to avoid him, if necessary.

But being in Japan again after so many months felt good, her mother and father's side of the family was here, and there were lots of hugging and greeting once they saw her again. That she saw them was great, but what was even better was that Kiki was with her this time.

"Okay, let me explain to you tonight's events." Tenten, while wearing a gorgeous black gown told her quietly in a corner. She pulled Sakura here to tell her the information that came straight from Tsunade.

"We arrived here at six and that means till seven the clans are here in this hall mingling among others. At eight the clans' headmen will introduce themselves in front of everybody and pronounce that each of them have their rightful heir. At eight thirty, the clan dinner will begin. This is where you come in."

Tenten pointed to the front of the hall. "A gong will sound exactly at eight thirty and you have to stand next to Tsunade as Senju's heir. Behind you will stand everybody that'll conclude and join you at the dinner. That will be Shizune, Kiki and I."

Sakura nodded, so far she was following her.

"Each clan's heir will be in that exact same order."

"And where will Ino be?"

"With Shikamaru, since she's his escort. Luckily he is attending the dinner also."

Ino was invited as Shikamaru's companion of the night and thus also traveled to Japan just like her 2 days ago. The only thing was is that she hasn't seen the Yamanaka till even this moment. She'll probably meet with her at the dreaded dinner.

"I really don't want to do this. The knowledge of seeing…" Sakura trailed off.

The chocolate brown-eyed female agreed. "Neither do I. If there is some way to completely avoid Hyuuga Neji the whole night, I would take it." She sighed, looking around the place if she could spot him. "But as long as we keep pretty much hidden in the shadows I'd say we would be safe."

"That's the thing though, we can't stay hidden forever, not as the heiress I can't."

"Sakura look at me." Tenten took her shoulders tightly and locked their gazes. "We must promise each other that if we do bump into the men we want to avoid, and I am most surely we will, we'll keep our composure and ignore them as much as freaking possible."

"Kay." She nodded her head eagerly.

They only wished it was that simple. Way more easier said than done.

-

-

-

* * *

"Oh, Sasuke, I can't wait to go. Hurry up!" Karin was practically bouncing on her place, standing in the hotel room in an elegant black and white striped dress, and a white matching scarf around her shoulders. Every improper part of her was modestly covered, save for her shoulders and ankles, which were adored with some shining black heels. Her hair was up and two pearl earrings poked out from under it.

The ebony haired Uchiha was, as always, irresistibly handsome in his black suit but was still fumbling with the cufflinks. It was always hard doing it on himself, mostly his mother helped him with this.

And he would have asked the redhead Sarina, if he wasn't so determent to stay as far for as long away from her. Sharing a hotel room was just something he couldn't get out of smoothly.

"Calm down, Karin." He deadpanned. "It is not yet the time." For the love that all is holy he thanked each and every define god up there that she adorned something proper and by-standard.

"But I am so excited to see the rest of your clan. Maybe our baby will look exactly like them." Dark hair and dark eyes was a trade no Uchiha child skipped. "I can't wait to tell them how far along I am."

"No." He just barely held the panicked tone from his voice.

"Why not?"

"I don't want the clan to know of an upcoming Uchiha child from a woman whom I'm not married with." Honestly, really suave. He was glad -another thing he thanked the gods for- that she wasn't that much into pregnancy that she started showing. She was still as flat as ever.

"Then when _are_ you going to tell them that we are getting married?"

Again.

Sasuke said nothing and threw his gaze elsewhere, anywhere except for her, flatly ignoring her. He was saved by a knock just before she had opened her mouth to speak.

He practically flew to the door.

"Ready, little brother?" The almost identical twin of Sasuke, only an older version, in a suit akin as to himself, smirked at him.

"Yeah, just these cufflinks."

Itachi, knowing that the younger Uchiha avoided the pregnant woman as the plague itself, set upon himself to help his bro. "I see you're still going at it." He said softly once he took Sasuke's palm and worked at the buttons of his suit.

"Naturally."

"What are you going to do, little brother, leave her as much to herself until she gives birth?"

"That's the plan." Sasuke regarded him.

His brother chuckled under his breath, switching to his other palm. "You're being foolish and rash."

"Call me foolish all you want Itachi, but neither of us wants the child she's currently carrying."

"And whose fault is that?" He got him there. "You should have been more careful." Itachi looked him in the eye, a seriousness that spoke volumes were in them.

"Deal with the consequences now."

Magically, and out of nowhere, a casual smirk graced his lips suddenly. "Karin," His glance flicked past his little brother. "You look lovely."

Karin, who stood quietly behind them shot him a smile. "Why, thank you Itachi."

"My pleasure, I assure you."

Sasuke looked at him skeptically, only able to pull that expression off because his back was facing the woman. He knew his brother was only flattering her out of politeness than sincerity. Albeit a part of him was agreeing with the older one; she _did_ look better than all the other clothes she ever wore on different occasions.

Though this was not some random party they go to pleasure themselves. This was something formal and very important for the clans that are attending. Modest attire was neither officially demanded nor requested but was highly expected. At least she knew that well enough.

"However I did not come here to merely judge your clothes for the evening or something of the likes," He quickly switched gazes with his little brother. "I came here to question if both of you are ready to go?"

Karin just nodded, while quickly went to fetch her purse and put the scarf around her shoulders.

"I'll be waiting with mother and father in the lobby." He turned out to the door. "Behave yourself tonight, Sasuke." He warned him quietly.

"Can't guarantee you, but I'll try."

Uchiha Itachi actually shot him a glare before he was out of the hotel room. Both of them knew exactly who was going to be present there as well, and it was Sasuke's duty as the heir of the Uchiha clan to be the example of perfection as they are known to be. That didn't include brash and embarrassing actions over personal problems.

Itachi sighed. He knew just as the sky is blue that it's going to be a drama.

As usual, they were brought to the Nara park, where the banquet is being held, in a sleek, long , black limousine that held an Uchiha logo on the roof and was sporting two little flags with the same symbol on it. The ride was all in silence, of course, one that made the solo redhead in their midst uncomfortable.

They all felt her distress; if her constant wiggling in her seat was any indication. But not anyone said something to ease her. Sasuke merely ignored her, happy that he could at least relax before they came into all the chaotic mess of people. Itachi only kept his gaze out of the window, seated on the other side of Sasuke near the door, thus not being affected by anyone at all. Fugaku sat across of his youngest son, a frown etched on his features. It was the only expression he seemed to have when in presence of Karin nowadays. His mother, though very surprisingly, held her tongue throughout the entire trip. If it was anyone in his bizarre family who was somewhat social, a bit optimistic and always ready for a conversation, it was his mother Mikoto. But even she was lacking all that this evening.

Karin almost cried out in relief when they parked. The tension in there was so heavy it became palpable and hard to breathe.

Sasuke nearly scowled when they reached their destination. He was just fully enjoying the quietness around him when they were here.

Here, at the place where many thing was going to get down tonight. To drop a few names: Haruno Sakura.

As the heiress of the Senju it was inevitable that she is here and he could bet on all his unlimited credit cards that she'll try to do everything in her power not to face him tonight.

_Fat chance. _

Though at a gathering of high significance such as these he couldn't very much make a scene. He even told his big brother that he couldn't promise to behave, so he had somehow warned him if something _does_ happen between him and Sakura.

He entered a hall that was amazing in sheer size alone. All different clansmen were walking around and those close to the entrance turned to see the four people standing. The other Uchiha among them eagerly came to greet the now current head of the clan.

"You two know the time of the gong," Fugaku told the brothers before anyone reached them. "Be on time."

Sasuke was the only one who nodded shortly, but was also the first one who left them. He had people to find here.

-

-

-

* * *

For the love of God, where in Pete's sake was Kiki? This is the Hyuuga ball all over again. Only this time the chance of seeing _someone_ she didn't want to see was hell more higher than on that party. At the Hyuuga ball neither of them actually wanted to be near the other. He was on one side of the ball with his woman and friends, and she was on the opposite with Kiki. She hadn't seen more of him that night except when he entered and that was it. Only Itachi wanted to act funny.

But… back then she and Sasuke weren't divorced yet, Sasuke hadn't told that he loves her yes ad they hadn't slept with each other yet.

Now she was more than certain that he will seek her out between all of these people. Hence why she needed Kiki badly. If he was with her then she was in some way save.

At least, she hoped.

It wouldn't be the first time that he would pull her away from Kiki. And not that escaping him did much good either, she'll see him at the dinner anyway.

'_But at least for now I won't face him.'_

"Ah, here you are!"

She turned around. "I thought it would lead up to another Hyuuga fiasco, you took ages."

"I'm sorry, angel." Kiki said, handing her a champagne glass and fixing his tie. "You haven't bumped in any Uchihas did you?" He grinned teasingly but the hot glare he got his way in return made the grin shrink.

He realized that it was a bad joke when it comes down to that name and her mood was in a way more… crankier every time someone mentions it. The furious glares, the irritated frowns, the clenching of her jaw or hands, that were signs she never did up and until…

Until they divorced.

Tatiana Kiyoshi was not someone who thought badly of people or situations easily, not even of the Uchiha -though true that he does not like the man and once or twice cursed him- he was very a laid back guy.

Things that happened, has happened. There is not much one could do about that, but if there happened more than something reasonable between Sakura and him, he would not be that forgiving to the Uchiha.

She was a little bit on edge when she told him that she divorced Uchiha, if her nervous tone and slightly trembling hands were anything to go by. He could not help but wonder what made her act the way she did just by telling him that she was divorced. It was her proposal in the first place. She told him the news a bit timed too.

'_What is going on between Sakura and-'_

He couldn't very much finish that thought when two Nara woman stood in front of them, talking a bit too loud.

"-And just now they arrived. A little at the late side for them, don't you think? I mean, aren't they known to be accurately, if not earlier, on time?"

"I wouldn't know." The other one replied, shrugging. "Maybe they were uphold by something."

"Or someone. Did you see that red airhead clinging to one of them?"

"Hah, yeah. Rumor has it, it's a woman who left one of the Uchiha brothers standing at the altar only to return a couple of months later. Complete ridicule."

"Wasn't it the heir? That handsome Uchiha Sasuke?"

"Please, honey, they are both delicious. Except that they are the sons of Fugaku-san, are exceptionally geniuses, and stand their ground in the Uchiha clan each in a rare, unusual way, they are also known as the hottest, drool-worthy, womanizing brothers of all the clans. I wonder what the younger one is doing with that redhead here, unless to state something."

The other gasped. "That won't be the future Mrs. Uchiha Sasuke won't it? I do hope not, I was having my eye on him."

"Every sane straight, and sometimes even not, female has eyes on either him or Itachi. It's normal, so save your drama for the next one. Those who hasn't laid their gazes on them haven't seen pure beauty in males yet. We all went through what you are going through right now."

"I heard Sasuke left his date as soon as he entered to wander around. Maybe he's looking for some fine young-"

It was here that Sakura completely removed herself from Kiki's side and practically ran out of earshot of the two women. Of all the people they could be gossiping about they chose to talk about him?

What was this? Some kind of cheesy cliché story written of her life for the amusement of others?

To call this irony was a heavy understatement, she was beginning to reach idiotic.

A god must be hating her. Must be.

Kiki, a little slow in reacting, lost Sakura before he noticed it. He would have yelled her name if it wouldn't cause a ruckus in the middle of the party.

-

-

-

* * *

So, she couldn't be that far. She had to be here somewhere. He needed to speak to her before they had the announcements. Before he had absolutely no chance to tell her things, before she saw Karin. With him.

He was thankful that he quickly left -escaped- her before she would clit to his arm like superglue without having the intention of ever letting go. She will be later at his side for long enough. Now he just had to reach Sakura.

Which could have been far more easier if not getting interrupted every single time by someone who needs to greet him. A rather cold glance and a short 'excuse me,' was all it took for them to shut up and let him pass. Not that it was completely appropriate or polite to do, not if it concerns his reputation and that his father will kill him for if word gets to him, but frankly, Sasuke couldn't give a bull's ass.

The only thing important this instant was to find his ex-wife -he still didn't admit this out loud- and pronto.

So far, he paced around each corner of this hall and there were only little places left where she could be.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Said man halted. He'd recognize that voice soon enough. He turned sideways and saw that his assumption is correct. "Hyuuga Neji."

The male nodded. "In a hurry, I see." A statement, not a question. "I could only ask as to why you are in a hurry. Yet it's quite needless to question since we both know the answer." His tone grew a tad mocking, aside from the usual flatness.

"Then don't." Sasuke frowned. Seriously, if the man only stopped him from going along his way then he might as well shut up.

The Hyuuga merely gave a short nod and crossed his arms, his voice suddenly lowering to just above a whisper. "You know, _her_ family is standing right over there."

A little behind Sasuke's shoulder stood indeed Sakura's family; her mother, Senju Tsunade, two more old ladies wearing the crest of Senju, Tsunade's assistant and Hinosyuri Tenten.

Sasuke had an idea why Neji knew exactly where Sakura's family was. That brown haired girl. A woman actually.

He didn't know that was the kind Neji fell for, but hey, she wasn't some kind of bimbo. At least, she didn't look like one. She seemed more of a no-nonsense, I'll-put-you-on-your-place kind of gal. A little spitfire right there. Sasuke couldn't blame him for liking the woman, at least she represented a challenge to catch, unlike other females who throw themselves at his feet. Sasuke could understand him completely.

Deciding he had a minute to tease him, a smirk formed on his lips. "You've got a good eye." He said towards the Hyuuga. "I could only ask as to why exactly you specifically have _them_ in your vision. Yet it's quite needless to question since I'm sure we both know the answer." He shot right back at him, subtly pointing towards Tenten.

Slowly, a scowl worked its way on Neji's face, his hand clenching lightly around his glass, diverting his eyes and scoffed. "Then don't."

To mask his laughter -yes, he had the urge to laugh when seeing the lavender eyed male's expression- he chuckled under his breath.

Quickly, to change the subject, Neji pointed over his shoulder. "I haven't seen the one your looking for in this hall for ten minutes now. She was standing quite closely in that corner with her escort. A word of advice, there is still the hallway that leads to bathroom up the stairs."

Sasuke nodded in appreciation and went into the direction of the mentioned stairs, not before speaking in his ear first. "A little word of advice," The man heard the mirth in the Uchiha's voice. "She's looking."

With a speed that could make Speedy Gonzales jealous, Neji whipped his head her way to find, indeed, that she was looking. Well, glaring more like it.

She glared. Why? She had no right to be glaring. Not after all those unbelievable, mind-blowing, countless orgasms he gave her. Not after the times he called her and she made it clear that it was merely an one time thing. He agreed then. She said just to leave it be, that, even though it was more than a wonderful night, it was one that they should forget it ever happened. He agreed. She also said that she still hated him, despite giving her one of the best nights of her life and still wished to speak as little to him as possible. He agreed. So, she should not be glaring.

Though, he couldn't forget any of it. He couldn't put it out of his mind, so much that he wanted another night with her. And then maybe another after. And one more, maybe.

It was a mistake. It was a mistake; they should have _never_ slept with each other. Never.

Not because he regretted it, oh hell no. But because now that he tasted her, he wanted more. He couldn't let go of the feeling of her in his arms, of her around him, of him on top of her, of him behind her, in front of her, inside her.

He wanted her. Again. And then some.

He didn't want to want her. He wanted to sleep with her and get it out of his system. Now he wanted her so much that he was going crazy of want. He wanted to march over to her and do her so hard right here on this floor and fill her with the same want that he wanted her for a while now.

His head began to hurt. Sighing, he looked down to his glass and took another deep breath.

He wanted an aspirin.

-

-

-

* * *

It was as if a magnetic force was pulling him to the only place he hasn't searched yet, the place Hyuuga suggested. The stairs he reached to get to the hallway that leads to the bathroom was a long one. It was grand in itself, with the classic red carpet to give the elegant finishing touch to it.

He finally found her.

_Yes_.

She was standing with her side towards him, giving him a splendid view of her profile. She was concentrating hard on the floor, constantly shifting her weight between one foot and the other, as if she wanted to pace around but chose not to. She looked nervous.

Sakura bit her bottom lip every so seconds, trying to calm herself. _He_ was making her agitated. If only she could wish herself to disappear from here. Or better yet, if she could wish _him_ to disappear from here, far away from her.

From the corner of her eye she saw a silhouette of a person standing still. As soon as Sakura noticed that the one she was running away for was standing there watching her, she started walking the opposite direction of him.

"Go away."

"Sakura," Was all he said, but he insisted in following her.

"I don't think I need to repeat myself." She replied without looking back. "But I said go the hell away."

"There is something important I need to speak with you about."

She ignored him and kept her pace up. But Sasuke, with his long strides, easily caught up with her.

"Sakura."

"I don't need to hear anything from you, Uchiha. And I demand that you leave me alone at once."

"Sakura, stop." He grabbed her arm then, preventing her from moving any further.

The glare he got could have melted metal. If looks could kill he knew he would have been dead at least a few dozen times now. "I need you to hear me out. I know I have no right to force you to listen like this and I know I have been an asshole-"

"Why are you speaking in past tense?"

"But this is important. You have to hear this right now." He continued like she didn't comment at all.

Sakura wouldn't have it. She yanked her arm from his grip. She would not stand there like a puppy and listen to any word he had to say. She wasn't obliged in any way. "Don't touch me, Uchiha, don't touch me. And take you distance, you're invading my personal bubble."

He said her name again and came closer to her, but she also took a step back and made a gesture with her finger that he should watch his line. "I mean it, Uchiha. Stay away." She wasn't going to stay in his presence any longer and started walking from him again.

"Didn't you hear me? This is important Sakura, I wouldn't have searched for you if it wasn't." This voice grew deadly serious then. A low form that made any other skin crawl.

Sakura stopped short. "And didn't _you_ hear _me_? There isn't anything that I don't already know. It's an old song, Sasuke, one that I don't want to hear again."

Maybe it was that Sasuke was so much into his own problems at the moment that he completely misunderstood what she was saying. He thought that she thought that he was going to declare his love for her again, especially now after that night that they slept together. But that was not the case. Not this time. This was something he didn't want to share with anyone, but had to take responsibility for his actions. And if there was anyone who had to hear it from him and him alone it was Sakura.

"It is not that what you think. I need to tell you something and I know you're going to be angry with me, but I'm telling you this so you wouldn't completely loathe me."

Too late. "Tell me what? Huh, Sasuke? That Karin's pregnant? That she's having your perfect little Uchiha brat in seven months? Newsflash, I'm already enlightened."

Sasuke was sure his heart stopped beating right then. She knew? Since when? How? From who?

"Sakura…"

"Don't 'Sakura' me! And don't try to tell me you regret it either. So why don't you leave me well enough alone and go enjoy your life."

She was ready to leave him again when he snapped back from the row of questions in his head and went to stand in front of her. She fumed that he was blocking her way and she hated it even more that he was so tall that she had to strain her neck to look up at him. "Get out of my way." She practically spat at him, but he stayed unfazed.

"I do not know who told you that, Sakura, but I can tell you that nothing of this was planned. Karin was supposed to leave from my life a long time ago. You were the one that should have stayed."

"You think I believe that Sasuke? You really think that? How can I? You were completely unwilling to divorce me one moment and then the next you did. How do I know that 'I-don't-wanna-divorce-you' thing wasn't a scheme? One that you planned so perfectly making me think you actually cared?" She chuckled skeptically. "Heh. I gotta hand it to you, Sasuke, you're a great actor. I never would have searched that behind you, but I suppose you are after tricking me into sleeping with you. I hope you're happy, now that you fucked me."

"It isn't like that. I didn't know Karin was pregnant. I wanted _nothing_ of this, nothing. I didn't act shit and I nowhere near fucked you, Sakura. I divorced you and slept with you because I love you."

Sakura froze for a moment when hearing his last words come out of his mouth. She froze and then took a deep breath. "Love me?" She said softly. "Love me?!" She asked louder. "How can you say that you love me while you're sleeping with other women?! I find that really hard to believe, Sasuke. Why don't you take your lies and deceive another person because they aren't working on me."

"I'm not sleeping with other women, Sakura. I haven't."

"Then how the fuck do you explain the baby Karin is carrying?!" Sakura almost shouted at him.

"That… is an accident."

There was a moment of silence between them where Sakura didn't stop spewing fire from her eyes and Sasuke keeping his gaze locked with hers. If he supposed that he stayed quiet to calm her down at least somewhat, then he was dead wrong.

Karin is pregnant. The fact that she bears the child even since long after Sasuke first told her he loved her didn't get lost on her. Which meant that all he said was lies. She hated him for that. How she _hated_ him for that. She hated him with her guts because he lied to her.

But she despised herself more for even believing him in the first place. She believed him and that made it hurt more. She should have known that Sasuke could not ever be for real. His first and only love of his life was Sarina Karin, she was stupid for thinking that he could be over a love like that. He wasn't. That's why it hurt more than any physical pain anyone could put upon her.

Sakura took another deep breath. An accident huh? What, he just tripped and fell with his cock between her thighs?

She walked close to him until their chests bumped. She looked up with a face of stale, one that he has never seen on her before.

"Deal with the consequences now, Sasuke."

With just that, she calmly walked past him.

Sasuke didn't do anything to stop her or follow her. He just stood there, still staring down as if Sakura was still there in silence. It was futile to do anything anyway.

He lost Sakura. He completely lost her because he was such an idiot by sleeping with Karin. That one night, when he imagined it was Sakura underneath him instead of her, it was the last night he would have slept with her, that fateful night he made her pregnant. He had made some stupid mistakes in his life, but this topped it all.

He was really foolish.

It was only then that Sasuke realized that she used the same words Itachi did earlier that night.

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura walked back into the direction of the stairs that would lead back to the banquet. She wished she could go to the bathroom and splash some cold water on her face to get her emotions in check, but Sasuke was still there and she didn't want to risk seeing him again.

She paused short at the bottom of the long, curvy stairs to take another breath. If she was going to waltz back in there she better be calm and without a scowl etched on her face. All she had to do was to put Sasuke out of her head.

When she walked in, everybody was facing the large stage they made in the front and a man she recognized as a Nara clan's man was talking. Nobody particular seemed to notice her when she entered and she took it as a good thing. That meant that no one had heard her and Sasuke's discussion upstairs.

She looked about to see if she saw somebody that was familiar to the eyes, like Kiki for example, but there was nobody. After the audience suddenly applaud, Sakura took a good look on stage, only to see her mother and the other heads of the clans on stage.

Oh Gods, what time is it? She completely forgot what she came for was important. Her first priority became hiding for Sasuke instead of paying attention to this. It was all his fault.

Another round of applause erupted, instantly making Sakura look in front of her again. Two men, who were the size of a house, lifted a huge golden gong onto the stage.

Sakura panicked. That was the gong that announced all the future heirs to the people. She was one of them, she had to get to the front and quick!

As subtle as possible, she started pushing her way through the crowd, avoiding to touch anybody as minimal as she went. The Nara man took his stance to hit the gong, she had to hurry.

"And now, here are all the future heads of aforementioned clans!"

The sound of the gong vibrated throughout the whole place, everybody felt it till their bones and there was a harsh silence before the crowd began clapping once more.

Sakura arrived at Tsunade and the rest panting.

"For heaven's child, where were you?" Tsunade whisper-sneered at her. "We couldn't find you anywhere without causing havoc and talk to arise between everybody."

"I'm sorry mother, but… I was at the bathroom."

Kiki, who stood behind her, leaned towards her ear. "The entire time? You were gone so fast I couldn't find you at all."

_It's because of Sasuke!_ "Yes. Well, I was feeling a tad nervous so I stayed there and cooling my face with water while calming down a bit." Sakura gave Kiki a look; he supposed that she became nervous because of the two women they heard talking before she disappeared.

Though that was only half true why she stayed so long away.

Speaking of which, Sakura turned her head slightly over her shoulder. _He_ was a heir too. He was expected to be here just as her. Soon enough she found him, behind the Hyuugas. She quickly turned back to the front before he looked her way, but she saw fast enough that Karin was silently scolding him.

-

-

-

* * *

The dinner.

The awful, dreaded, unavoidable dinner.

All the people has moved from one hall to another where tables were set for practically everybody that was attending this banquet. There was one table, the largest of them all, where every head and heir sat, eating together.

The dinner.

That's where all the trouble began.

At the head of the table sat a Nara, the one who made this entire banquet happen in the first place. He introduced himself as Machi. He was a joyful fellow, cracked jokes here and there and a grin plastered on his everywhere, and he was quite laid back if you looked hard enough.

"First, I like to thank you all for being present. I know each of you are very busy, like, always, but I'm glad you could squeeze this into all your agendas. It must be troublesome, eh?"

Most at the table shook their heads no. Some did nothing because he was right; it was troublesome.

"Now, I would say that I'm sad for not having Mr. Namikaze amongst us," He inclined his head respectfully towards Uzumaki Kushina, wife of the previous head of the Namikaze clan. "I didn't know the man very well, but he was a kind and caring man, who laughed so hard at my jokes. We miss him, yes we do." Machi picked away an invisible tear. "But your son, oh!" He gasped looking at said son. "He looks so much like him. Naruto, was it?"

The blond beside the red haired woman, nodded.

"At least we won't ever forget the face of Mr. Namikaze Minato, that we won't. Just one look at you and we see the resemblance. We see him!"

The entire table was looking at Naruto and he only bowed his face down slightly. But ever so smoothly, he stole glanced to the one sitting two seats away from his mother: the Hyuuga heiress.

The girl was constantly fighting the blush that threatened to creep up her face.

"Ah, I heard you are the vice-president of the Uchiha company, that I did." Machi looked now at the Uchihas. They were the most in numbers at the table and that pissed some people off. There will be no name dropping of who exactly it pissed off, of course.

"How is the business doing?" Machi didn't direct the question to a specific Uchiha directly.

"Business if doing just fine." Fugaku was the one who answered, as predictable. "Sasuke is doing a fine job. Naturally, I also check time to time."

Machi's eyes switched to the man besides Fugaku. "You're Sasuke? Holy canoly, I would've thought that you were Itachi, that I would. I haven't seen you since you were a little baby." The Nara laughed. "You know, I saw your family jewels when your mother changed your diapers. Up and _gooooo_, it went." He snickered and some at the table giggled.

If Sasuke was able to do so, he would have flustered. But he doesn't, instead, he frowned.

"But I'm sure it has grown, just like the rest of you, that it has." He grinned, while flicking his gaze to the one next to him. "Oh, and who is this? I don't think they introduced me to you."

Sasuke sighed, ready to get this part over with, but was she already spoke. "My name is Sarina Karin. My father is CEO of Sarina incorporated, maybe you heard of him." Etiquette says that one had to introduce her to another. Not herself. She smiled, though, her lips stretching until teeth was visible and her eyes took a sharp look. Slowly, but surely her crimson orbs found green ones. "And I'm Uchiha Sasuke's girlfriend."

Sakura took a quick intake of air and clenched her hand under the table.

That bitch.

Karin let out a short chuckle and grabbed Sasuke's hand that rested on top of the table, entwining their fingers and kissed the top of both their hands.

Again, she past Sakura a smile, that was everything but friendly.

Triple damn bitch.

Sasuke looked at the pink haired woman, but she kept her eyes straight in front of her. Slightly glaring and almost biting her lip, but she refused to look his way.

"Oh, Sasuke's girlfriend, you are, huh?" Machi began grinning from ear to ear, his face taking a very mischievous expression. "Making good use of the family jewels, eh Sasuke?" Machi and Karin sputtered together of laughing.

Tatiana Kiki sat still watching the scene, stealing a glance at Sakura from time to time. Her eyes were glued to the plate below her now, but he could see that she was clenching her jaw and was playing with the food instead of eating it. He quietly choked when she saw that Karin locked gazes with the rosette, before introducing herself as Uchiha's girlfriend. Was she… purposely rubbing that fact in? He wondered. If so, then why would she? Sakura already divorced Uchiha, there was nothing going on between the two of them, why would she be rubbing a thing like that into Sakura's face?

There would be no reason to.

At least, non that he knows of.

Then why? Why would Karin be looking at Sakura that way while saying that? Why? For nothing else except that she would be jealous that Uchiha said that he loved Sakura. But the angel didn't return it and Uchiha didn't break everything off with the redhead. So she should be happy, right? There was no need to be acting the way Karin did.

Unless… unless something more happened between Sasuke and Sakura that he doesn't know of. He had a suspicious feeling more things that he was aware of happened between those two. Karin knew what that was.

And if she did, shouldn't he be informed about it? That was part of the agreement.

Karin's voice brought him back to present.

"Yes, he's making _very_ good use of it." She giggled, once again subtly looking at Sakura. "So good that I-" Fugaku coughed, Sasuke squeezed her knee and Itachi frowned. "That I would like to stop mentioning it. It is quite improper."

There fell a short awkward silence.

"Okay. Mr. Hyuuga," Machi resumed, giving a look at Hiashi. "How are you and your beautiful daughters?"

Fugaku jabbed Sasuke at his side with his elbow. "Keep that mouth of her on a leash. Do you want to embarrass us?" He quickly added, "If she hasn't already."

Sasuke made a face but said nothing to him, only leaning towards Karin. "You think you were being funny?"

"I was only being social and making conversation." She whispered back. "Not something I can say of you. I was letting him know me."

"Don't."

Karin gave him a sideways glare. "You were just silently sitting there, constantly staring at that pink servant the whole time."

"I did not."

"I saw you, practically everybody does, it's so obvious. I am going to be the mother of your child and soon your wife. Stop looking and give me your attention as it should."

Angered that she even brought the topic up while at the table, where Sakura and Tatiana and everybody was present, he gave her a hard scowl, one that she stopped cowering away from anymore.

"Karin, watch what you say. Don't begin of that now."

"Why, because I spoke the truth?"

"Because we shouldn't be talking about it right now while dining among people."

"And you shouldn't be gaping at her while eating among people. It makes me nauseous."

"Karin." His tone was warning. Part of him knew she was telling the truth, the other part was furious that she dared talking about _her_ at all. That she was sitting somewhat across of him, next to Tatiana, made it worse.

"Why don't you admit it?"

"Admit what?"

"To everybody that I'm-"

"I already told you why, Karin. I don't want anybody to know of a child that isn't legally an Uchiha."

_Good excuse._

"Then why don't you tell that we're going to marry?"

Why doesn't he indeed? "Because this banquet is about the clans. Not marriage announcements." _Even better excuse. _"Now let it rest."

"You just…" Suddenly her eyes filled with tears. "You don't want to marry me."

_She got that right._

She fought back her tears by blinking rapidly and pushing a grin out of nowhere. "Excuse me," she said out loud. "May I be excused from the table, I need to go to the ladies room to powder my nose."

Machi gave her a charming smile. "Of course, Miss Sarina, I don't think any of us mind."

She quickly rose from her seat and let out a sob hard enough for Sasuke to hear. But her face straightened and fumed once she was far enough from the table.

Curse that servant girl. Curse her. If she didn't exist then there wouldn't be any obstacles between her and Sasuke. Then Sasuke would be loving her and her alone. Then Sasuke would be spontaneously happy that she was having his baby. If only she was out of the picture. Permanently.

She climbed the long stair that got to the hallway that leads to the bathrooms.

-

-

-

* * *

Sakura couldn't help it, she kept sneaking glances their way the whole time. It seemed like they were in a fight, if she could guess by Sasuke's expression he was getting pissed off. She had no idea about what they were speaking of because their conversation was so hushed, she doubt it even the ones sitting next to them could hear something.

She was curious though, even if she wanted nothing to do with either of them, she wondered what got Sasuke so worked up that he let his cool façade of impassiveness drop in public.

Not that she cared. She was just curious.

There came an end to their whispered argument when Karin asked if she could leave the table. A very face and forced smile on her lips. When she left, Sasuke looked down at his plate for a second, turned his head towards the direction of his brother, then straight to her.

She was startled for second when they held one another's gazes. She was caught staring at him, she wasn't planning to look his way once this evening, yet she did. His eyes were stormy. Like he was having an inner battle or something. He almost seemed angry and there was a sense of… hopeless in them.

What did she care? Sasuke lied to her. He wanted Karin. He always wanted her. It shouldn't be her problem. Still, his eyes spoke volumes more than ever in the time that she has known him. A hooded sadness overcame those onyx orbs, a sadness that even touched her heart. He seemed so broken, so alone. Like he needed someone, someone specific, to comfort him, to be there for him, to tell him that everything will turn out ok, to love hi-

Sakura broke the eye-contact. She didn't even realize that her breathing was somewhat faster than usual. Softly, she shook her head and looked up again.

He was still watching, orbs looking with and intensity so fierce it became hard to breathe.

She abruptly stood up, making the entire table glance at her in surprise.

"I-I'm sorry," She stammered. "I have it a little warm in here. I, uh, I'm going to the bathroom for a moment. Excuse me." Before anyone could say anything, she was gone.

Sasuke drove her mad. She didn't want anything to do with him, she didn't even want to think about him. And here he was, first that fight between them earlier and now this.

He really drove her mad.

What was that look all about? It was a look that you send to your loved one, which she _totally_ was not. He didn't love her and she definitely didn't love him. If he even remotely loved her he wouldn't have impregnated Karin. And if she loved him, she would have stayed with him after they slept together. There was no proof either side shared that feeling, yet he was still insisting that he does.

It's a lie, all lies. He was obsessed with her. Yes, that is it. He was obsessed with her, that's why his eyes had that kind of look.

She reached the long stairs and climbed it slowly.

How was Sasuke going to be as parent? Is he going to keep acting like this when the child is born? When-

"Why is it that everywhere I turn, I see your disgusting face?"

Sakura has reached the top of the stairs, only to meet with Karin, who stood not so many feet away from her. She forgot that this woman went to the bathroom too. If she had remembered, she wouldn't have come.

She blinked a couple of times. "I dunno. Why is it that you always have to open that mouth of yours and say something unintelligent every time we meet?"

"Ha." Karin faked a laugh. "You're so pathetic, acting all tough and high and mighty, while you were poorly dumped by a man."

"I didn't get dumped by anybody. I divorced from him, not the other way around." She crossed her arms. Karin could be _so_ smart sometimes. Note the sarcasm, please.

"Yeah, but he slept with another woman while yapping that he loved you." She smirked.

That still hurt. "I don't know why you make such a problem of this. Don't you see? You've got him. There is nothing between Sasuke and I, you're having his child, not me. You. I don't even _want_ him, because if I did, he would've been at my side with a snap of my fingers, but I don't. So leave me be."

A very ugly glare came upon Karin. True hatred were dripping from her crimson eyes. "You don't get it, do you? As long as you're still here he's always going to be thinking about you. He mustn't and I loathe you for that. I despise you with every fiber of my being, every cell in my body. You say you don't want Sasuke? Then go! Move! Go back to where the fuck you were for that year! Get out of Miami, get out of our lives!"

"You think I leave just because you said so?"

Karin growled loudly, taking furious steps. "Argh, get away! Get out of Sasuke's life, out of his mind!"

Suddenly, she started running. "Get out of this world!"

Sakura took a step backward out of surprise, nearing the edge of the stairs, seeing Karin running straight to her.

It happened way too fast; Karin already stretched her arms towards the Haruno, her intention all too clear. She was getting closer and closer while Sakura stood at the edge of the stairs.

One moment Karin was pushing, the other moment Sakura side stepped just on time and the Sarina was too late in stopping.

She fell.

"_Aaaah!" _She rolled down the long stairs it took her way too long to reach the ground below, unconscious.

Sakura stood stock still up there, too much in shock to be taking in what just happened. She completely froze up. She didn't know how long it took, how much minutes and seconds past by before there was a group of people surrounding Karin's knocked out body. She was still in trance, in complete utter shock.

Then, there was a voice.

"Out of my way." He was pushing past people and kneeled down on the floor, holding Karin's head up.

He called her name a couple of times, the first time ever she heard a hint of panic in his voice.

Like a magnetic force, as always, he was pulled to her.

He looked up the stairs, onyx clashing with emerald. She stood up there, all alone looking down with shock stricken face.

"What did you do?" Sasuke looked at her incredulously.

"What have you _done_?"

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**A/N: And so we reach the ending of this chapter. I hope everybody enjoyed it somewhat. The action between Sasuke and Sakura were mostly fights, but hey, they couldn't very much make out in these circumstances now can they?**

**As for all the people who thought that Sakura was going to get pregnant too, I hope you aren't all too disappointed. I know most of us, who has been around fanfiction long enough, knows that every time Sakura sleeps with Sasuke unprotected she turns out to be knocked up. Kind of a cliché thing already. That is also exactly why I didn't make her pregnant, because it happens too much. Not every time someone sleeps with a dude unprotected she end up pregnant, get real. It doesn't belong to the plot that she gets pregnant, the focus of that shouldn't be on her but on Karin. Someone different for a change. Sakura is not Sasuke's baby-machine. And I let Sakura be on the pill because I know people will go; wtf she wasn't protected in ANY way and still she isn't prego? Like, wth?  
Yeah, uh, no. I'm kind of already sick of it.**

**The man 'Machi' in this chapter, also known as 'Nara Machi' is actually a district in Nara, Japan. **_**Naramachi**_**. It's a district where **_**machiya**_** (merchants houses) from the 18****th**** and 19****th**** century are to be seen. They serve as galleries and little art shops nowadays. I heard it was fascinating to see. But then again, what in Japan is **_**not**_** fascinating to see? I thought it was a fun little fact for y'all to know. **

**Anyway, on to the next chapter… See you guys later!**

**Wish I could send chocolate-hearts and half naked Sasuke posters to y'all!**

**R & R **

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'_I have always hated you. But it would be a lie if I said that throughout the whole time I didn't love you.' __**– Me**_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_Stay Tuned for Next Time_

_Same Site, Same Story_

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	16. Excuses

**A/N: ****I bid you all a good day my lovely readers! I just wanted to let you know that I am happy you guys are somewhat liking it this far… but…**

**WARNING: There will be a part in this chapter where you will want to kill me. Like, when you arrive at the parts in the back of your mind you go, 'I wish that dahm author waz here so i can strangle her pretti lil neck wit my own 2 hand, grrrrr. [insert evil laugh]' Yeah, remember, I love you. Do not kill me, not even think about it when you read this chappie. Just, smile away! 8D**

**I have never studied medicine or something, I just try to remember what I've seen in all the doctor shows like Grey's Anatomy, ER, Mercy, House, Trauma, Holby City, etcetera etcetera. **

**Happy reading!**

**BTW, sorry for the ending. I'm just like that.**

**Disclaimer: I just hope that someday I'll be rich enough to own **_**Naruto**_** and the other brands I've put in here. Until then, there is nothing I have on my own.**

**[Manga talk *contains spoiler*: Because I so dearly updated in time (note my own sarcasm) I couldn't say this sooner. Y'all remember the moment Sasuke stabbed Karin in the chest while she was hostage of Danzou, right? You laughed, didn't you? You downright cackled in sadistic pleasure seeing Sasuke singlehandedly stab her. Admit it, you did it! Even if you didn't do it out loud, and most of us felt a bit sympathy for her later, (and when you felt that sympathy, you also thought 'why am I feeling a bit sorry for her?') you still smiled cruelly the very moment Sasuke chidori bladed her! You know you did, I did too! And loudly.**

**p.s I was disappointed though, when Kishimoto-sama didn't let Sakura whoop Sasuke's ass around when she had the chance to. Hell, she couldn't even stab him with a poisoned kunai, which Sasuke was immune to anyway. -_-**

**Oh and uh… KUSHINA-SAN! Heehee…]**

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'_At first when I see you cry, it makes me smile. At worst I feel bad for a while, but then I just smile. Oh, I just smile.' _**– Lily Allen, '**_**Smile'**_

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The hospital felt cold and narrowed. The crisp white walls seemed to close in on him.

He left everybody behind him, those who followed to the hospital. He needed to be alone to breathe for a moment. But he couldn't, he wasn't getting any oxygen in his lungs. There has to be something in the air, or he must have an allergic reaction to something, which was impossible for he was tested and had nothing.

Sasuke sat down in a seat where a row of more empty seats were against the white wall. Some nurses walked by, gaping at his pale, disheveled figure but remained from saying anything. He's in a hospital, there's no good reason being here while looking like that.

Two hours ago, the pregnant Sarina Karin has been brought to Nara Sakurai Byoin hospital because she fell from a stairs and was found unconscious on the ground. There was no sign of blood or any injury but the doctor said that they'll be doing ultra sounds to see if she was having internal bleeding, for those are more lethal than external, just to be in case.

Also, they were testing if she was… Sasuke clenched his jaw so tightly his head began to throb.

He never thought he'd cared this much. Not for Karin and certainly not for the baby. But now that they both has been put to danger it seems that he isn't as careless about them after all. Karin was still a human being, someone who was once, and maybe still is, an important person in his life. Someone he shared practically everything with once and though he wanted to end everything with her, she still didn't deserve this.

Then there was the baby she is carrying. The 13 weeks old baby, which was 3 and a half months. It could barely be called a baby, rather a fetus.

He was worried _sick_ about that baby. Wanted or not, it is still an Uchiha descent. His first child, if born maybe even the future heir of the clan. Uchiha blood runs through his barely there veins. He might not have wished for the child and he may be calling it a mistake, but he will never judge the child, much like Fugaku did with him.

He would be a good father, no, a _better_ father than his own has ever been for him. Because despite everything, Fugaku was a good one father, the only thing that did not make him the 'greatest' father was that he had no emotions to show except to his wife and sometimes anger towards his children; namely Itachi nowadays. Everything was about discipline, intelligence, traditions and the company for him. But Sasuke would not. He wouldn't make his child's goal that high to his expectations like Fugaku did, that he was sure of.

Sasuke has never thought this far into the future about him and his child.

If the baby survived that fall, that is.

He still doesn't know anything about either the baby or Karin. He didn't know what to hope for now.

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It came as a great shock for those who knew what happened and who were present at the scene how Sasuke reacted. But it would have been more shocking if he had not reacted the way he did. Itachi came in late, Sasuke already had Karin in his arms and was on his way to the exit to bring her to the hospital. How exactly he was going to do so and in what transportation, Itachi had no clue. Sasuke didn't have a car here, as they were brought in a limousine and he had no idea where the hospital was because Nara wasn't a city they were particularly familiar with. Yet, he was carrying her out of there. People were stopping him though, and told him he should wait for the ambulance, which was already on its way.

He haven't seen his little brother this panicked since they were young, if not ever. It took quite some minutes to calm him down, even if he's Uchiha Sasuke.

Like at every drastic event, it didn't take very long before Itachi heard the whispering begin around him. It was inevitable and unavoidable for the gossips to take their turn, but what he wasn't prepared for was that the rumors were about Haruno Sakura _pushing_ Sarina Karin off the stairs. _Haruno Sakura?_ Pushing people off staircases? Pregnant people? That would be a great laugh if he wasn't Itachi.

The Haruno Sakura he knows wouldn't even hurt a mosquito, let alone purposely pushing women off a stairs. She was angry and hurt for what his little brother did to her and he understands that, but the only thing she wanted out of that pain in return was a divorce she so much had a right to have and get him out of her life. He didn't believe what they were saying in the slightest.

Everything turned into a chaos, as he expected was going to be. He had to admit not to this extent, though. Karin was found knocked out on the bottom of the stairs with a shock-stricken Sakura at the top of said stairs. And albeit he didn't believe what the people were making out of this whole happening, he could understand what they were thinking of this.

There were questions that he liked to have answers to. The first and most logical was; did Sakura really do it? All evidence points towards her that _yes_, she did push a pregnant woman off the stairs. But, if she did, then why? He knew there was bad blood between the two women, the redhead towards the rosette more so than the other way around, but Sakura wouldn't have a motive. She didn't want to be near any of them, himself included, Itachi mused. She held a resentment towards his little brother, not to Karin per se. Did she do it because she knew Karin was pregnant? Or did she push Karin because she thought that she _wasn't_ pregnant at all, so no harm could be done except to the Sarina herself? He assumed Sakura couldn't care less if Karin was pregnant but on the other hand, she could have also done it to bring vengeance to Sasuke's life. That brings him back to the question; why? She got to divorce him, wasn't that enough to sate her anger?

Itachi was very much doubting the accusation they had on her. He liked to think that he kind of knew her, if it was safe to say that. Sakura didn't had a mean avenging bone in her body. But who knew what she was capable of if she was provoked enough or put under pressure? People did stupid things.

He still didn't believe it. His gut was saying that she was innocent and that's what he'll be sticking with.

Now the real question that everybody wants to know, what does Sasuke think of this?

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He thought that he was going to get sick. He supposed that it was good that he was already in a hospital, but he was a little dubious that anybody would aid him simply because he had the urge to barf. The smell disgusted him, the clean smell of sterilized air and soap. It was too strong. It was everywhere.

He walked through the hospital until he found an exit that would lead him outside for fresh air, making sure to avoid the waiting room they've put them in. In there were his parents and his brother and Naruto and who knows more who came along. He didn't want to deal with any of them, that's why he left and also turned off his cell phone.

He couldn't think straight in that room. He had a feeling that those four walls were closing in on him. Karin and the baby occupied his mind most of the time, but he was also thinking about _how_ they landed in the conditions they were in right now.

_What happened?_

It is almost 4 hours ago that they brought her here and he probably missed the doctor by now. One of his family members must have heard what the doctor had to say so they could tell him what's going on. That's why he turned his cell phone back on.

71 missed calls.

That's a new record.

He saw that most of the calls came from his parents, both of them, and also from Itachi and Naruto. There was also an unfamiliar local number in between and he guessed it was the hospital itself. Sasuke needed to call one of them back. His parents were a no-go. His mother would be insanely worried, she would start asking a sea full of questions and probably go into hysteria. His father would most likely be angry, insult him in some form or another and get him even more stressed. Naruto would be the same as his mother. Only worse.

He called.

"_I_ _understand that you want your solitude but that also means that I had to deal with two drama queens_." Itachi's calm voice came once he picked up.

"_Oh my God, is that Sasuke? Honey, where are you? We're worried. Why aren't you here? Are you alright? How do you feel? Did you drink something?_" He heard his mother's voice in the background. "_Where s that bastard? Leaving us like that! Make him come here at once so I can hit him onto one of these beds myself! He wouldn't have to go very far!_" And that was the obnoxious blond idiot. Who _can't_ hear him?

"_You see what I have to put up with, little brother?_"

Sasuke felt sorry for his brother but he needed to sacrifice him for himself. He wasn't able to stand in one room with them. Too crowded. Too noisy. "Did the doctor come?" He asked.

"_Dr. Yakushi has come by, twice in fact. He insisted to talk to you first_."

Damn it. Now he has to go there anyway.

"_He should be returning soon. You should get here too_." He paused a moment. "_Speak about the devil, the doctor has arrived_."

Sasuke took a good look around. "I'll be on my way."

They hung up together. It was not that far of a walk and with every step he took, his facial expression was getting more and more ominous.

He entered with his eyes narrowed in slits, a frown and a scowl. He immediately halted when he saw how they were looking at him. His gaze, though, slid over to one single person in the room.

She received one of _the_ most coldest, harshest, deadliest glare anyone had ever seen Sasuke give another before. It was a glare that struck her hard, almost physically painful and it tore her apart. Never in her whole life had she thought that she will be getting such a glare like that from Uchiha Sasuke.

Not even Kiki ever got a look like that.

Time froze momentarily between Sasuke and Sakura, where eyes were the only thing speaking. She was pleading, but there were no tears. Sasuke saw only one thing. A woman who pushed Karin, pregnant with _his_ child, off the stairs. She got a lot of nerve of coming here. So much that he hated her for it. She wasn't here before… She must have arrived somewhat later. Did she come to check if she had done her job well?

"There you are, teme!" Naruto broke him out of the staring match.

"What is _she_ doing here?" His voice was as lethal as the glare that was still set for her. The air at the North Pole is nothing compared to the ice Sasuke was speaking with.

Uzumaki gulped loudly.

"Mr. Uchiha," Came a calm, slightly high pitched, voice from his side.

A rather short –then again, who wasn't short compared to him?– lanky fellow approached him. "I'm doctor Yakushi Kabuto, I'm treating Sarina Karin. Since you're in Japan, I heard you are the closest related to her as…?"

"Her fiancé."

"Of course." He nodded. "May I speak to you in a little more private environment?"

"Hn."

And they were out of the waiting room.

"According to you, Miss Sarina has fallen off a stairs, correct?"

There came a simple nod in response.

"We've done some check up on her if she had some internal bleeding by doing an echo, since a CT-scan isn't safe for women in her conditions. But besides a minimal head injury, she is fine. We've put her into a coma-induced sleep where we could wake her up any time when we find appropriate to do so. And once again, because she's pregnant we try to prevent from giving her too much pain-killers, hence why we like to keep her in sleep. And we're going to keep her in for a few nights, three at most, to keep monitoring her just in case. Since an echo isn't completely trustworthy, we're letting her sleep till tomorrow morning and then check again if she doesn't have any bleedings in her brain. If for three days straight nothing appears on the echoes, we're releasing her. If she has any headaches after that then I suggest to give her as little as possible acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, against the pain."

Ok, so except that she had to stay for 3 nights here, she was fine. "What about…" He actually swallowed. "The baby?"

Dr. Yakushi Kabuto took off his glasses, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, before putting his glasses back on. "The echo itself took quite some time, Mr. Uchiha, we haven't tested her as of yet. Blood test takes another hour or two."

Sasuke almost groaned.

"But why don't you go get some sleep. It's late. It's so late that it's almost early. We will call you the minute we get the results, is that a deal?"

Sasuke said nothing. He knew he was not getting any sleep tonight, no matter how hard he tried.

"Go rest, Mr. Uchiha. Miss Sarina is in good hands." Fixing his white doctor's coat, he walked off to who knows where.

This was awful, Sasuke thought when he walked back into the waiting room. He would rather know immediately what happened to the child and be done with it. Now he's going to think about it all night, what's left of the night anyway, if the baby will survive yes or no.

Mikoto gasped once Sasuke reentered and saw his solemn face. The news can't be good. She was about to call out to him but he flatly ignored everybody's eyes and made a beeline towards Haruno Sakura herself. She rose from her seat when she saw him coming, Naruto sat next to her.

"Sas-"

"If something, _anything_ at all, happens to that baby, it'll be your fault." He hissed harshly at her.

"Sasuk-"

"If _my_ child doesn't survive, so help me God, I will _not_ forgive you for it."

"Sasuke, listen!" She yelled, her hands landing on his chest to make him stop, but he roughly pulled away from her as if she was fire. The action hurt her. "It isn't my fault, she fell! I was just there, I didn't push her!"

"Everybody saw you standing there! It's because you're Senju's heiress, or else I would have reported this to the police, Haruno Sakura." He practically spit her name. She had never heard anybody say her name with so much disdain as Sasuke just did.

The Uchiha didn't stay any second longer in her presence and left the waiting room all together. Not before murmuring to Itachi that he was returning to the hotel and that nobody should disturb him.

Sakura was left gaping at Sasuke's back. Mikoto and Fugaku soon followed after him, with Fugaku leaving a dirty look on his face. "I never trusted that servant."

Itachi left too, his expression blank.

"You really didn't do it, right, Sakura?" Uzumaki Naruto, now the only one left with the woman, questioned quietly.

"Naruto, no, I-" She halted. Trying to swallow with a dry throat. "I came here to explain things. It's complicated."

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She didn't do it. And she knew that. Karin was the one who ran towards her. Karin wanted to… to push _her_ off. If Sakura didn't sidestep then it would have been her the bottom of the stairs. It would be her in the hospital right now. It was _not_ her fault.

And she could have spoken the truth. She could have. But speaking the truth now will only complicate things more. Sasuke was having enough problems as it is and she won't be the one giving him more. Besides, making herself look like the real victim here instead of Karin will only make things worse for her. She'll tell him everything once he has slept a little and calmed down. He's Uchiha Sasuke, king of hiding emotions and staying cool-headed. It won't take that long.

Upon reaching her hotel, she remembered that she was sharing thehotel room with Kiki. It was her who insisted, since the four of them could pay for two rooms. It was also she who sent him back to the hotel when the banquette leaked empty because of Karin's… accident. He opposed and said that he needed to stay at her side. But she was going to the hospital, she _needed_ to go to the hospital to see if Karin was really alright and explain things. And at the hospital were the Uchihas, they didn't very much liked Kiki. All of them had more than enough complications today and creating a full out vendetta was not something that needed to be added at it. So she went alone. She met her mother, Shizune and Ino on the way out, quickly explaining things and told them that she will tell them everything once she'd return.

That was so many hours ago. The lobby and everything else was silent and while having her keycard in hand, she quietly slipped inside, expecting Kiki to be asleep.

"You're finally here." He wasn't asleep. Quite awake, still in the smoking he wore for the evening. He was sitting in a simple chair, the plasma TV talking away right behind him and he walked towards her once she closed the door.

"I was tempted to call you every minute," His voice was so soothing after everything she went through. "But I decided against it every single time. You're a big girl, as you reminded me. How did it went?"

The words, the glares, the tone, the hissing, the snarling, the frowns, the threats, it all came back to her. How it went, he asked? In one word; terrible. "It went as how one would think that it would go in these sorts of cases."

"That bad, huh?"

She lowered her head and nodded. He put his arms around her and hugged her closely against his chest. It felt so warm and perfect to be in his arms like this. After hours she felt protected, safe and secure. He blocked everything with his warm body and heavenly scent. She wanted this, forever.

"It'll be alright, Sakura."

"You should have seen his face." Her voice sounded strained, as if she was on the verge of crying. And maybe she was.

"I'm sure his reaction was to be expected. He's Uchiha, he needed to put the blame on someone."

"I think… I am the blame."

"No, you're not. Do not think that for a moment that you are the blame. This is not your fault." He kept hugging her for a long moment in silence, just comforting her. "Why don't you go and take a nice, long bath?"

She shook her head. "No. No, I rather just take off these clothes, pull on a large shirt then go to bed."

"Sure," He agreed. "Then if you don't mind, I'm taking just a quick shower."

He slowly let go of her and kept their eyes connected until he reached the bathroom.

Sakura sighed deeply. Today, well, today and yesterday, have been tiring days. She was exhausted. She couldn't wait until she would be on bed, resting. She was sure that she would be deep asleep even before her head would hit the pillow. She quickly changed into a sleeping wear and was going to jump in bed.

Before that, she decided, she would text her mother, who was a couple of doors further, and Ino that she arrived back. She reached for her purse and at the same time she heard the shower turn on.

In a matter of minutes she had texted them that she was back safe and sound and that she'll tell them later how it went.

A minute later she got a response back from her mother: _I need to see you. I'll try to be there in a sec, not sure i can make it. Im dead tired. And i still need 2 change. *sigh* I'll try to come._

Sakura smiled. She was actually happy that her mother would try and see her. Though, she knew it would take forever for Tsunade to rise from that bed. Since she said that she had to change Sakura instantly knew that she was sleeping. And the blond Senju didn't like rising from bed. No matter what the time.

This time, however, Tsunade surprised her by knocking on the door two minutes later, flat.

'_Wow. A new record, that was damn fast. The previous record was thirteen minutes. What an improvement!'_

Opening the door she realized that it was _too_ fast.

"She lost the baby, Sakura." Came Sasuke's growling voice.

What was going on here? Sakura gasped and gaped at the tall, angry Uchiha in front of her. She didn't know if she was shocked because of what he said or because he was standing in front of Kiki and her shared hotel room.

Probably because of both.

What was he doing here? And more importantly, how did he know she was staying at this hotel in this room? What did he do? Purposely used his connections to find out, or something? Because it was most certainly not the first time he did it. And what was he saying…?

Karin… oh my-! She _lost_ the baby?

"And it's your fault." Sasuke said, like he responded to her thoughts. "She lost it, Sakura. She freaking lost it."

The same fierce glare was carved on his face, his fist clenched tightly, turning into a sick white color. He was clenching them so hard, they were slightly shaking. This man was furious. Hate was practically oozing out of his body and his aura was dark and deadly, all because of Sakura.

" Sa-Sasuke," She stammered. "I-I'm- I can't… It's…" She had no idea what to say. 'Sorry' wouldn't do at this moment, not at all.

"It is your doing that I lost _my_ child."

"No, wait! I can explain this! It isn't my fault, I didn't push her."

Sasuke growled. "You didn't very much deny it when everybody accused you of it. And now you're trying to say that you didn't do a thing? That you aren't responsible for the lost of my child? You're really stupid if you think I believe a word you say, Haruno."

"I didn't want to say something sooner because you already had so much in your mind and there were too many people around."

"Tell me what, then? Lie your way to your innocence."

"Sasuke, don't point your finger at me if you don't know the complete story. Karin and I met at the stairs and an argument broke out between us. We were so busy with each other that one thing led to another and then suddenly I saw her running towards me. On reflex I sidestepped and she couldn't stop anymore. Then she…" She left it hanging, it was quite self-explanatory.

There came a silence between them that didn't last all too long.

"You sidestepped? Are you telling me that my fiancée, my pregnant fiancée," Sasuke has never addressed Karin that way in her face, "Tried to push _you_ off the stairs but ended up falling herself?"

She wanted to nod to confirm but something about his tone in his hardly-maintaining-from-snapping voice told her he didn't believe anything she said.

"Sasuke it's true."

"Heh. If so, then why didn't you stop her?"

"Wh-what?"

"Why didn't you stop her, Haruno? You just said that you saw her running towards you and you even had the time to fucking sidestep."

"Sasuke, how can you say that? It happened too fast, it was a reflex, I did it unconscious, I didn't know what I was doing! She was the one running to me, she tried to push _me!_ She, not I."

"You're trying to put the blame on her?"

"What? No! I'm not-"

"It doesn't matter now, does it?" He snarled at her, leaning down so they were on the same eye level. "She already lost the baby, didn't she?"

Another freezing glare was shot her way before he stormed off, leaving her staring at his now empty spot where he was standing just a second ago.

The man really did not believe her. He didn't believe that the reason why Karin was in the hospital right now and lost that baby was because of her own doing.

…

...

...

* * *

The sound of the shower running was no longer heard and it took quite some time for the door to open and a cloud of steam came out of it. Kiki walked out shirtless.

"Hey Sakura, I heard someone talking to you like ten minutes ago. Your mother's voice is kind of heavy." He smiled under the small towel he had thrown on his head to dry his hair, blocking most of his view.

There was no answer returned, though.

"Sakura?" He lifted the towel from his head, only to find the woman in question on the ground, leaning on her hands and knees.

He called her name in slight panic and rushed over to her. Her breathing was a little uneven and she was squeezing her eyes shut. At first he didn't know why, but then he realized that she did it to prevent tears from escape.

"What happened? Why is the door open? Sakura, angel, talk to me."

"It was," She began in a breathy, barely there, voice. "Sasuke."

"What?" He deadpanned.

She only shook her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, trying to keep herself from sobbing. He lifted her from the ground in bridal style, closed the door with his foot before walking back. He lay her down on the bed, pulling the blankets over her. "Just get some sleep, angel. It has been a tiring day. Forget about Uchiha. We, you and I, will deal with him after you've rested."

"What about you?" It felt great to have her head on a pillow.

"I'll be right over there. Watching some TV, I guess."

"Don't you need to have some sleep too? You can take the other side of the bed, I don't mind."

"No." He shook his head shortly, tucking a falling pink lock behind her ear. "You're more important." He smiled down on her gently, his fingers lingered on her skin, over her cheekbone to her lips, stroking it softly.

"Sleep." He told her quietly. He rose from his sitting position at the edge of the bed.

She held onto his arm before he completely slipped away from her. Their eyes connected.

"Sakura,"

"Stay." She whispered. "Stay with me."

She tucked at the arm she was still holding, rising her upper body to meet his, her eyes were filled with tears he didn't noticed before.

"Stay with me tonight." She said before she kissed his lips.

He gently climbed on top of her when he felt that she didn't stop pulling him. It felt good to be in his arms. She needed this comfort, especially now, after her encounter with Sasuke. She needed him, she needed Kiki.

A tear slipped from her eye when he tasted her between her lips. His hands wandered slowly to the hem of her shirt she changed into earlier.

Contrary to him, she didn't take it slowly and fingered the band of his sweatpants, since he came out of the bathroom shirtless. She already had the luxury of having him half naked. His body was divine, she vaguely noticed. Just perfectly rippled all over the place.

Already was his pants off, thanks to her. And she was starting to work on his boxers.

He broke apart of her with a silent gasp. "Sakura," He panted, the kiss taking a lot of his breath. "Don't you think that we're going too fast?"

Sakura was also panting. "No." She shook her head, taking her own shorts off, leaving her solely in her underwear. "I need this. I need you."

She didn't give him the opportunity to say anything more because she pulled his head back to her and sealed their lips.

Sakura moaned loudly when skin hit skin, her ankles wrapped around his waist. Their bodies were slick of sweat, making the friction between them even more pleasurable. Hands went through hair and places were stroked.

She kissed him again between the many they shared, a lonely tear escaping her.

...

...

...

* * *

Sasuke had barely slept, in fact, he haven't slept at all. There was an hour at which he had his eyes closed but it felt like a minute. It was by far not enough.

Everything hurt. He looked pale. He felt sick.

Why was it like his life was falling apart? He lost Sakura, Karin got pregnant and now he lost his child. Granted, it was a pregnancy that he didn't want, he first could care less about it, but in the end, the baby was still his flesh and blood. No matter how much he ignored it.

Now, it was gone.

The gods must be punishing him for all the sins he committed in his life. Who could blame them? After taking over the company of his father, all he did was sleep with different women on daily basis, most of them got their heart broken, he was cold, rude, arrogant, cocky, selfish, proud, and distant to everybody. He lived his life without a care in the world, used people to his whims. A great example of that was Sakura once.

And now… now he sat in a cold waiting room in the hospital, looking if somebody would come up to him and talk about the situation at hand.

It took a while, but the doctor came personally. "Mr. Uchiha," He said, getting the attention of the man.

"Dr. Yakushi." The doctor, Kabuto, pushed the glasses up his nose with his index and middle finger.

"Ah yes, you remembered. There aren't many relatives of the patients that recall the doctor's name the very second time they see him after just meeting him."

Sasuke merely blinked emotionlessly. That he had a very good memory, explicit, impeccable even, was something he didn't need to hear from the doctor. He already knew it. "Sarina Karin?"

"Of course," He nodded after the short awkward silence on his behalf. "We took Miss Sarina out of sleep two hours ago. She woke up almost instantly. You can see her if you wish to."

Sasuke halted a moment. Was he ready to look her in the eye? Does she know that she lost the baby?

He nodded.

They went with the elevator one floor up to a single room. She was sitting in her bed, dressed only in that paper blue dress, her glasses were off.

Despite everything, it would be a lie if he said that he didn't find her beautiful without the glasses on. Her face, exactly with the expression she had on when he enters the room, was innocent and even pure. There weren't many times when she looked like that, most of the time it happened unexpected, but he always had to stop and stare at her. Like now.

"Sasuke!" She sounded happy. Happy to see him, he supposed. There was nothing joyful about her position.

His face showed as much.

"Sasuke?" She asked apprehensively, the way he was looking at her, so grim, gave her a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

He said nothing, as always, but only cleared his throat lightly. He broke eye contact with her to look at his side to the ground. His bangs covering the side of his face and his hands fisted tighter in the pockets of his pants.

"There is someone who needs to speak with you." His voice was flatter than normal, like he was forcing himself.

Sasuke stepped aside and revealed the silver haired doctor who has been standing quietly until the two did their thing. Karin squinted her eyes to take a better look at him since she wasn't wearing her glasses. He immediately came forward.

"Miss Sarina, I'm doctor Yakushi Kabuto, neurologist. You've had quite a blow against the right side of your temple, which isn't the best of places to get hit." He explained shortly, also telling her that he was taking some small tests on her.

She nodded. "Yes, but apparently so far _I_ am fine. What about-"

"We can't be too sure, Miss Sarina, post-traumatic injuries occurs a lot and is dangerous. Especially in the head area. We kept surveillance while you were in a coma-induced sleep. You should at least stay in bed and rest for twenty-four hours." Kabuto pushed his glasses up when he read on the board in his hands.

"Actually, doctor…" She began timidly, voice low. "I have a question I'm sure you know what it's about."

Sasuke frowned, biting the inside of his cheek quietly until he tasted blood.

Strong arms were locked around her waist, their legs impossibly tangled and her face buried in his warm chest. His skin smelled delicious and it felt amazing brushing her chest against his every time either of them took a breath.

She smiled. This felt incredible, last night with him was incredible. It was exactly what she needed to comfort her weeping heart. Her heart which has been broken way too many times by the same man.

She felt Kiki sigh contently beside her, his hold on her tightening. "Good morning." She kissed the flesh right in front of her.

He chuckled lowly to her, tilting her chin up to him. "This is a perfect morning." They smiled before they kissed again, after many they already had.

"Too bad I have to break this perfect morning." She pouted, not wanting to go.

"Why?"

"My mother should hear of me. She didn't came by last night meaning that I should go to her today. I'm already afraid that she is worrying about me and I wouldn't be surprised if I find her drunk right about now. Even if it is morning."

He was quite reluctant to let her go so she could shower. He was tempted to join her as his eyes followed her naked form to the bathroom. It didn't take her long to get back out and dress fast.

"I don't know when I'll be back." She kissed him while he was still in bed, the blankets covering his lower regions.

"Don't worry about it, angel." He stroked her cheek. "I'm also grabbing a shower and then go find something to eat. If you need me, just call. I'll be over as soon as possible. Send your mother my regards."

"Sure." She said, waving goodbye when she slipped out of the door.

Kiki sighed. He waited a moment before getting out of bed and into the shower. He wasn't hungry but he had to go and see someone. Leaving the hotel in less than an hour later, Kiki found himself in front of the hospital with a single Jasmine flower in his hands.

It didn't take very long for him to find out where the redhead is staying. He was about to walk right into her room with a prepared, smooth insult, when he heard voices in the room. He quickly stopped in his track and stayed to eavesdrop right behind the door.

"Actually, doctor... I have a question I'm sure you know what it's about." He heard Karin say quietly.

Kiki's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, of course, Miss Sarina." He said, his voice going softer. "I received the results of your test this morning and… I'm sorry to inform you that you have…" He swallowed. "Lost the baby. And… it's also likely that you'll never be able to have children again."

Kiki gasped silently beside the door. It was quiet in the room for a while, but then a loud sob pierced through the air. Followed by the heavy sound of her crying.

No matter how cold ones heart is, they'll always dislike the sound and sight of a woman crying.

A minute, maybe, has passed and the only thing he heard in the room was Karin crying. It was a minute and yet it felt like an eternity. It was tough to bear the sounds and not walk away.

"I am so very sorry Miss-"

"Leave it." She was broken, her voice heavy of her tears and slightly angry because of the pain. "I don't want to hear about it."

There came another silence, Karin's sobbing died down a little, she was now merely sniffing.

"If you'll excuse me," Doctor Kabuto said softly. "I'll return back later."

Kiki moved quickly. If this Kabuto dude found him standing at the corner of Karin's room eavesdropping then there would be hell to pay. And not necessary by the doctor. The fact that Karin and he were still talking to each other once in a while was top secret. He didn't wait up and until Sakura left the hotel room on her own so he could sneak out for nothing and get caught now. That's why he hid in the toilet nearby unnoticed.

He listened to the steps of the doctor, waiting till he was out of earshot before he came out of his hiding place, returning to the spot he was earlier right outside her room.

...

...

...

* * *

Sasuke was staring at her. He was staring in the emotionless kind of way that made you wonder what the hell is going through his mind. He just stood there, hardly blinking at all. He was simply blank. He had the perfect face of a heartless robot.

If Karin didn't know any better then she would have thought that he zoned out on her. But she did know better; Sasuke doesn't do out zoning. Yet with that expression, if you could even call it one that is, you would think that he wasn't paying attention at all. But he did. Hell, Uchiha Sasuke always did.

It's unfair. How is it that every normal person would _react_ in cases such as these, yet _he_ didn't? How is it that anyone, anyone at all other than him, would change their facial expression that fits the situation as it is? How is it that he seems to read you like an open book, but still you could hardly make out what he's thinking? It's unfair.

Sasuke just heard that he lost his child of the doctor himself. He didn't even swallow. He just stood there, Karin thought again, with his hands in his pockets, his presence in the room nonchalant and with a heart that is made of ice cold stone.

He didn't do a thing. She wondered if he was even breathing. Now they were alone in this dire situation and she knew that she was looking like she was about to freak out, while he was there as if he was standing in line to buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

It was impossible, what she was going to ask. She knew it. It would be almost a miracle if it did happen. "Would you say something?"

His left eyebrow twitched, his jaw clenched a bit harder and he swiftly shifted his weight between his legs, and that was the only response she was going to get.

"Sasuke, for once in your entire life," She said, barely above a whisper. "Abandon that silence of yours and _say_ something."

He blinked, to please her and silently sighed. She didn't gave him much choice. "For the first time in my life, Karin," His voice sounded so far, so distant, so lifeless. "I don't know what to say."

"Let me help you then." Slowly she started to speak louder than in a hushed tone. "How about 'I'm sorry you lost the baby'? Or, 'are you ok right now'? Or maybe even 'I don't want you to feel bad'. Anything, Sasuke, I want to hear something come out of that mouth of yours so that I would know that you aren't the complete cold, heartless monster I think of you right now." It didn't take very long for tears to fill her crimson eyes. "You just lost your child, _our_ child, your flesh and blood and the only thing you do is gaze out in front of you with an aura that practically screams that you're too cool to care. Just the way that you're standing makes me look like I'm the hysteric woman making a total fool out of myself and you aren't even trying hard to be aloof. You do not care for a moment that the child, unborn or not, was Uchiha by blood, do you? Because if you did, you would move, react, scream, fucking _blink_ when you heard about it! You have no emotions. None at all. You simple don't care about the baby, you most certainly hate me and you're heartless. You're heartless. You're heartless. _You're fucking heartless! _And it pisses me off that you're the one in this whole fucking world that could be such a hard bastard. You don't have a conscious at all, have you? You're freaking hollow!"

Her scream was finished with a just as loud sob. She literally burst out in tears, her hands covering her face and she sniffed hard.

He still didn't utter a word. He'd let her get angry at him. She just lost her baby, after all.

A very pregnant pause came and the only thing that was audible was the constant hiccups and sobs from the red haired woman in the bed.

"Why?" She asked softly, her face still buried in her hands. "Why won't you tell me anything anymore? Why are you like this?"

They both knew why. They all knew why.

He didn't love her anymore.

Her cries quiet down after a while. Her hiccups were gone but her tears still knew no end. She looked up to him then, her eyes wet and puffy, her cheeks and nose were pink and overheated, and her whole appearance stirred something in him.

"I'm going to end up miserable, aren't I? I'm going to be a miserable, lonely woman who lost her first child and never be able to have children again." The tears got a new powerful boost to keep falling. "I'm going to be bitter and so alone for the rest of my life. You're going to find a woman who can bear your future heirs and have a family and I'll have nobody. I –"

"No." He stopped her. The words she was saying were not right. Contrary to popular beliefs, he _did_ have a heart. Only it is buried deep, deep, deep down. Her words just maybe dug up said heart.

"Wha-what?" She tried to blink her tears away. "What do you mean 'no'? It's true. It's going to be true."

"No." He repeated when he started coming closer to her. "None of it will. You may have lost the chi- _our_ child, I gave you my word to marry you."

He couldn't believe what he was saying, but he meant every part of it. He already lost everything. He lost his child, he lost _her_, he lost so many things. What's more to lose? He did promise her that he was going to marry her, even if it was only because of the baby. Now that she is no longer pregnant, he, in actuality, has no more obligation to enforce that promise.

But look at her. Just look at her. Merely 24 hours ago she thought she was going to be the proud mother of Uchiha Sasuke's first born. That fact was easily erased as fast as a speeding bullet. Now she sits before him, broken and unwanted. She didn't deserve it.

As mentioned before; contrary to popular beliefs, Sasuke _did_ have a conscious, and it was telling him that she deserved nothing of this and by keeping the promise of marrying is the least he could do. Maybe in the end, they both could be happy.

"I'll still marry you, Karin. The loss of our child won't change anything. I promised." The thing with promises is, in most cases, it is not what you _really_ want to do.

...

...

...

* * *

...

- **The Night Prior – **

**...  
**

**

* * *

**

Tenten stormed out of the Nara building. The heels were killing her feet, her hair fell into her face constantly and she would rather take off this annoying uncomfortable dress and continue walking**–**raging**–**in her undergarments. Today was _so_ not her day. Not only is she hoisted into an evening wardrobe and heels again, the banquette ended in a disaster and filled with persons she did _not_ want to see.

Her head hurts. She couldn't tell if it was because of the amount of alcohol she consumed or because of what just happened, but it didn't really matter in the end, now did it? She got a headache nonetheless.

It wasn't really that late, but it was already dark. As the banquette leaked out, she decided that she won't be sticking very long. Not if the opportunity arouse that she could go home sooner than planned. She didn't stay at the hotel like the others because she had family living in Nara and it was just her luck that her aunt, the one she's staying at for the time being, also practically lived right next the Nara Urban Park. She actually didn't need a ride to get to the banquette, but Tsunade picked her up even so. Now that everything went out of hand, and she already had a headache, she went her way in the direction of her aunt and uncle's cute small house.

It was quite the park she had to walk through. She never liked parks when the sun is gone because the trees made everything scary and more darker than it really is. Let alone the weirdoes who strolled around. And the more she went, the more her sixth sense was ringing that there was something bad behind her.

She was about to shrug it off as paranoia, until a branch cracked and it was not caused by her shoes.

She stopped short. There _was_ somebody behind her.

"I have a black band in Karate, I know Tai Kwan Do and a friend of mine taught me some extreme Kung Fu moves. You're warned." She sprung around then, only to have a near cardiac arrest right then and there.

"Ah, you creepy, sneaky, freak! What are you doing sneaking behind people's back, you creep!"

"Is that all the words you can come up with?" Hyuuga Neji asked calmly. "Or is your vocabulary that limited? I can imagine, with your intelligence."

"What the hell do you mean with that?"

"What do you think?" He smirked. "Or do I have to spell it out for you because you're too _smart_ to figure it out?"

Did that man honestly just called her dumb? "Argh," She yelled like a frustrated teenager. "You're impossible, I can't believe that I'm actually standing here, listening how an arrogant, pompous bitch insult the crap out of me." She continued to storm away. "An arrogant, pompous bitch who I didn't even remotely wanted to see in the first place. Ever."

She wouldn't escape from him that easily. "What annoys you the most," He started when he grabbed her arm and ignored her protest. "That the man that you're attracted to is standing right in front of you or the fact that you're simply attracted to me?"

She shot him a death glare. "None of the above, jerk. Although you're right about the part that it annoys me that you're standing in front of me. Get lost, your alien eyes irritate the hell outta me."

"I'm not going anywhere. Not until you admit that you're attracted to me."

"Well, you're going to stand there all night, because unlike you, I can go away from your presence."

Neji narrowed his eyes at her. "Admit it, Tenten."

"Admit what?" She crossed her arms defiantly.

"You know what."

"No, I obviously don't."

Neji sighed angrily. "I already told you what you should admit, use those few brain cells you own and recall what I said to you just moments ago."

She growled, glaring harder at him. "There's nothing to admit, except for the fact that I completely despise you and I really don't want to see you face anymore." She walked away from him, she really didn't need this right now.

But she has set no more than 3 steps and he stopped her by commenting again. "Keep lying to yourself, maybe you'll believe it someday."

She spun around. "You're inconceivable! You cannot know my feelings any better than myself. You cannot even dare to command what the hell I should be feeling for whom."

"That's the only thing you're remarkable good at; running and denying."

"I am not denying anything. There's nothing to deny about! You're making assumptions out of your own arrogance and none of them are correct either."

"If there is one thing I that was never incorrect about it's my assumptions. I know you're attracted to me, you don't want to admit it to yourself."

"Look, I hate you, ok? There is no attraction, I don't even like you." This man was not getting the point. He was a cocky bastard who just wanted to flatter himself. "What makes you think that I see you in any other way except resentment?"

Easy. "Because you won't resist me if I kissed you right now."

In a flash he was before her and kissed her hard.

...

...

...

* * *

"Sakura, there is lots that's going on right now. I know that suddenly everything is falling apart but it's going to be ok." Tsunade told her soothingly while pouring her a glass of Black Label.

"You know, any other mother would be giving her miserable daughter tea in moments like these. You're the only one who gives me alcohol." She smiled weakly.

"Meh, tea are for pussies. Really, the only time you see me drinking tea is if Shizune is breathing down my neck or I am meeting someone important." She smirked and sipped of her own drink. "But really Sakura, you should leave Uchiha Sasuke at his own business. God knows that the Uchihas are an annoying clan, we don't need trouble between them and us."

"This isn't about clans," Sakura sighed. "It's between him and me. He thinks I pushed Karin, pregnant of his baby, off a stairs. I didn't. And I don't know if he believes me."

"Is it really that important?"

"Yes!" She cried out, gulping down the whiskey, cringing for a second. "Yes. I can't have him blaming me for something that I didn't do. I don't want to give Karin the satisfaction of having Sasuke hating me for no good reason. That's why I should speak to him personally."

Tsunade frowned at her. "It's a little too late for that, don't you think? Sasuke already blames you for what happened and he's not going to change his mind. Going there is only going to make this worse."

"But it'll keep getting much more worse if I don't say anything. I didn't do it and I'm not going to sit on my ass and do nothing while he is hating me without knowing the actual truth! If there's somebody who's the victim it's me."

"Sakura, listen to me. You're not the one in the hospital who just lost Uchiha's first baby." Tsunade told her seriously. "Why don't you leave him and Karin alone?"

"But I can't! I should prove my innocence, Sasuke can't think-"

"Don't you see that whatever you'll say he still will not believe you?" She shot from her seat to lecture her. "You said you wanted Sasuke out of your life so you can move on with Kiki. See this as an opportunity to leave everyone connected to Uchiha Sasuke behind and start a new begin. He will not ever meddle with your life again. You're a fool if you need to secure your innocence in Sasuke's eyes, even if you know he'll never accept it."

"It's true that I don't want to stay in contact with him in any way, but I don't want to depart like this." To have Sasuke blame her for Karin's accident, was not her fault. She caused it herself, he should know that.

"He will not listen to you, Sakura. All your actions will be in vain!"

"And how do you know that, huh?" She snapped back at her mother.

"When he came to accuse you in your face that Karin lost his baby, and you tried to explain everything to him, did he let you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"I rest my case." She cut her off, once again sipping her whiskey.

"So what now, you suggest I leave him alone forever while he accuses me of destroying his family?"

Tsunade was having a feeling that Sakura was glaring her, hence why she purposely didn't locked gazes with her. She was speaking through gritted teeth, the blond could hear it. "If you want to put it bluntly like that then… well, yes."

"It's the truth." Sakura threw back.

"It's for the best." Tsunade countered.

Neither spoke anymore. The Senju only heard clothes ruffling and before she knew it, Sakura was out of the door.

"That didn't go very well." Shizune stood silently between the door that leads to the bedroom. "You think she's ok, Tsunade-sama?"

"No." She answered. "No, she's definitely frustrated and angry. I'm only fearing that she'll go and do something stupid. She's too damn stubborn."

"I wonder where she got that trait." Shizune said while innocently whistling to the ceiling, knowing that Tsunade would shoot her a death glare for that comment.

...

...

...

* * *

Sakura couldn't believe it. Just when she thought she could get some support of her mother, this happens. Shizune and Kiki won't back her up either on this.

Didn't they know her? She couldn't actually leave the case like this, not while she was still alive. Sasuke can't forever hate her and she doubts that Karin will turn into a saint and tell him the truth. She couldn't live with herself knowing that somebody is out there thinking she killed a fetus, a baby. Their child.

She needed to find out where Sasuke was so she could tell him the truth. Screw Tsunade, she thought angrily. She wouldn't give Karin the satisfaction of letting him hating her very existence. So the first step of her plan was the most logical; find out where Sasuke was staying. But how?

An idea popped in her head as she grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket and speed dialed a number.

"Hey Tenten it's me," She said when mentioned woman picked up her cell. "I need you to do a favor for me."

"_I can't exactly do anything for you right now_." Her voice was a bit groggily.

"Are you asleep?" Sakura asked.

"_No,_" She scraped her throat. "_Not anymore_."

Sakura flicked her wrist. "It's almost four in the afternoon!"

"_It's, uh, it has been a long night. But ok, what can I do for you?_" She quickly changed the conversation.

"Could you somehow look up where Uchiha Sasuke is currently staying here in Japan?"

"_Right now? Whatcha need that for?_"

"Hey, I don't ask about your business, like what you did last night, you don't ask anything about mine."

"_Point taken_." Tenten immediately said, Sakura hit a nerve. "_You know, I think I can help you right now. Hold on a minute_." She put her on hold just in case and turned towards the other side of the bed she was occupying, harshly punching the lump beside her, quite hard too. "Ey, wake up, I need your help with something."

"What?" Neji groaned irritated, slightly pissed that she punched him.

"Do you know where Uchiha Sasuke is staying at?"

"Last time I heard, Hilton hotel downtown."

Tenten nodded, taking her mobile phone and clicking on it here and there. "_Yo, you still there? Yeah, I only heard at Hilton_."

"Ok, thanks. Just out of curiosity, how did you find out?"

"_Heh, nobody sells out their sources now do they?_"

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, you're right. Talk to you later and thanks again. Bye."

"_Bye_."

They hung up and Sakura didn't waste any moment longer before she was already heading towards said hotel.

Once there, the only other obstacle in her way was knowing which room he was at. That could only be done at the reception. And behind the counter was a female with blond hair pulled into a tight bun. "May I help you?" She said, looking Sakura up and down.

"Could you tell me in which room Uchiha Sasuke is staying, please? It's an emergency."

The woman pushed a paper in front of her. "Sign here please." Sakura quickly wrote something down. "Room eight-oh-two. The Park Suite. Eighth floor, take the elevator on your right."

Sakura nodded and took the route the woman told her, only to end up standing in front of door number 802, just breathing.

Could she do this? Could she face Sasuke after everything that happened because of Karin, because of that baby?

Sakura sighed and put a cool hand against her forehead. How everything has changed in a blink of an eye. How the roles reversed so easily. Just a day or two ago, she didn't want to see him, let alone be in his presence. She didn't even want to be in the same building as him because he lied to her, because he hurt her. He lied that he loved her, he lied about everything and that hurt. Karin was pregnant, so she didn't want to hear a single thing of him. One meeting with the red haired Sarina at the top of some stairs changed everything between Sasuke and her. Everything. Now he was the one who avoided her at all cost. He was the one that ignored her. He was the one that _hated_ her.

She didn't come all the way to beg for his forgiveness. She hadn't done anything in the first place to ask for forgiveness. She merely approached him to explain herself, to tell him that whatever Karin told him wasn't true. That was all she had to do to clear her conscious.

So she knocked.

There was nothing. There came nothing.

Was he even there? Maybe he's out. Maybe he's in the hospital. She turned to leave only for the door to open a second later behind her. In that moment it also became clear to her why it took so long for him to open the door in the first place, if his wet hair, him being half naked in simple black sweatpants and a towel around his neck was any indication. She lost her breath then. Even if it was for the shortest of moments, she did lose it. He was looking at her incredulously before easily a glare appeared.

"What are you doing here?" He wondered how in the world was she able to find him, but he concluded that if he could use his connections to find anyone then she could use hers to find him.

"It's about Karin," Sakura began calmly. "Sasuke, I-"

"I don't want to hear it." He told her harshly. "What's done is done and there's no way to change that. Go live your life and leave us alone." He was about to close the door in her face but she stopped it just in time.

"No, Sasuke, hear me out this time. What happened to Karin is not the fault of neither of us."

"I don't care. Step away from the door."

"We were both caught up in the moment, she just fell. She was running to me and-"

"What part of 'I don't care' don't you understand? Step the hell away from the door, Haruno."

"No! Why won't you let me explain?" She pushed back against the door. "Why won't you at least let me talk?"

It was at this point that Sasuke snapped, opening the door fully and roughly pushing her against the opposite wall. "You're one fucking hypocrite, aren't you?" He growled. "Before Karin's fall, before the dinner at the banquet, I was the one searching my ass off to find you, to _explain_ about Karin's pregnancy, to tell you that everything what happened between you and me was real. I even _begged_ you to listen to me but you didn't. All you wanted was to be left alone because you supposedly knew better. You didn't hear me out either, you didn't let me explain." He was more than pissed at her. "Now you know how it feels like. Quid pro quo." He turned to his room, lingering for a moment at the door. "I hope you get the fucking message."

With that he slammed the door shut, leaving her still outside against the wall. She swallowed then blinked. He was right. She didn't give him a chance back then, she didn't do anything except trying to escape him. And now she expects him to do exactly what she refused to do for him?

She slid down until her butt hit the floor. Now she also realized that Tsunade warned her. Her mother told her not to go and did she listen? She shouldn't have come. How stupid. She's so unbelievable stupid.

Kiki walked into the hotel room, finding it completely dark. All the curtains drawn and the lights out. Once inside he noticed Sakura sitting in a chair in the middle of the room.

"Hey Sakura, what's going on? Why are you sitting in the dark so alone and silent? Weren't you at your mother?" He switched the lights on only to see the look on her face. "Sakura?"

"I also went to see Sasuke." She choked out. "I should have known he wouldn't listen."

He said her name softly. "I think you should just forget about this whole Sasuke ordeal. Considering he's still going to marry Sarina Karin anyway."

She looked up at him, shocked to hear what he just told her. "He's still… what?" Did he love her?

Of course he did. Why should she care in the first place? She didn't love him, she knew that. And she long since established that he didn't love her.

A tear ran down her cheek.

They were both separate now, they could do whatever they wanted with their lives and he just chose to proceed his with Karin. That's all there is to it.

Another tear followed.

She accepted that. She did. She wanted each of them to leave her be. And they did. They will.

More tears fell.

Then why, oh why, did it hurt so much?

Suddenly she felt two arms around her and with glassy wet eyes she raised her head to look up at Kiki.

"Don't cry, angel. I hate it when you cry. Just forget about them, forget about all of them. You're over him but please, don't cry." He kissed her cheek and wiped her tears away.

"It doesn't matter." Sakura answered. "We will be going back towards Miami tomorrow night anyway. Then everything will be behind us." She sniffed.

"Forever."

...

...

...

* * *

Karin sat in the hospital bed combing her long red hair, just relaxing of the atmosphere. She hasn't felt this laid back in a very long time and she wondered why. Suddenly she began grinning.

She couldn't believe it. She silently squealed. After so many months she now knows that Sasuke is finally marrying her again. It took too bloody long for him to come around in the first place. That was the fault of some filthy, pink, servant bitch who was clouding his better judgment. But no longer. Now he's going to marry her and she's having Uchiha Sasuke forever in her mean manicured clutches.

She laughed loudly.

"Happy that you've won, love?" A male voice said.

She gasped when she heard him and whipped her head his way, smiling when she saw who was casually leaning against the frame of the door. "Oh, yes I am. Can you believe it? Because I can't! It seems surreal but it's true."

Tatiana Kiyoshi smirked. "That has been your objective all this time, has it not?"

"Yes, but doesn't it feel great?"

"It feels amazing."

She giggle and turned completely to him. "And how is it with you?"

He easily slipped a grin on his face. "Everything is just perfect, love. It couldn't be better. All went the way we wanted it to. Why not rejoice?"

Karin laughed happily again. "That's what you came here to do, rejoice?"

"Of course," He said, shrugging. "Why shouldn't I? The plan worked out perfectly. We got what we wanted all along. This is a time to be celebrating!"

"Oh, yes." Karin sighed heavenly. "Soon I'll be celebrating my own way."

"I heard he's going to marry you."

She gasped in shock in return. "How'd you know? I haven't told anyone yet."

"I was standing just outside around the corner yesterday when I heard him say that. I wanted to visit you but he was here so I couldn't."

"You little eavesdropper." She giggled. "But yes, it wasn't exactly the best proposal, but we'll still marry and he'll be mine forever. No longer in the palm of _that_ woman's hands."

"And soon I'll wed Sakura, we'll be out of each other's hairs in no time. I gotta hand it to you, love, I was kinda dubious when you proposed this plan of separating Sakura and Uchiha from each other, but in the end, it did work."

"Ah, getting pregnant of Sasuke was a piece of cake," They laughed together. "I just had to stop taking my pills and sleep with him, which was delightful by the way."

"Please, save me the details." Kiki responded disgustedly. "Before I puke in my mouth."

"Nevertheless, I was knocked up in one go. The weekend I went to my doctor in Orlando to confirm it was the weekend Sasuke got divorced with that woman and slept with her."

"Wait, Sakura slept with Uchiha? She didn't even tell me. Good that I took her last night." Kiki chuckled lowly.

"Eh, please, save _me_ from all the details. Last thing I want to know is how you fucked a pink pussy." Karin stuck a finger midway in her mouth. "I'm a bit glad that Sasuke and that wench did screw each other, though. The face that pinky had when I told her I was carrying Sasuke's child for three months already was priceless! I bet it hurt her like hell!" A laugh similar to a witch's came out of her.

"It did, considering that she hated him till her very core. I was there to catch her. Now they hate each other. I've got to say, you falling off a stairs wasn't according the plan."

"No, it wasn't." Karin growled. "It was just the spur of the moment thing. She was there and pissing me off. The one who should have rolled off the stairs should have been her, I wanted to push her off the stairs but that bitch is fast and then I fell."

"I can't believe you wanted to practically kill her!" Kiki was surprised that she even tried to. She was really crazy.

"Not kill her! Just make her a few heads shorter, you know, that big mouth of hers is annoying. Then I fell and lost my treasure." Her hands landed on her belly. "That doesn't exactly matter, I never wanted the child, I wanted Sasuke. And now I have him."

"_I seriously doubt that_."

Both Kiki and Karin turned towards the door, staring quite surprised to a very pissed off Uchiha Sasuke.

The redhead gulped. "Sa-Sasuke! Wha-what are you doing here?"

Sasuke was gritting his teeth and glaring daggers at them. All this time, almost everything that prevented any chance of him making up with Sakura was intervened by these two. He knew something was up the moment he reached the door, he heard a voice that didn't belong in here. The voice of that despicable lowlife excuse of a man Tatiana Kiki.

It was their fault. Everything. The things he blamed Sakura for was all because of them.

"Look Sasuke, it's not what you think." Karin hastily told him. "We were just playing around."

"It doesn't matter what you say, I heard everything, I heard it all. This was all you." Sasuke took a step closer, his knuckles turning white of how hard he was clenching him. "You planned everything of this. You're the blame of everything. I can't fucking believe you!"

"Sasuke, I know this may seem as if-"

"Shut up!" He suddenly yelled, making Karin flinch back. "The pregnancy, it was staged? You were the one who told Sakura about it, you were the one that made sure she hated me."

The other man in the room began to laugh. "If it is anyone's fault that made her hate you, it's your own."

Sasuke switched his blazing hating eyes to Kiki. "If I were you," He began lowly. "I would shut the fuck up. You're already on thin ice as it is and speaking will only make it worse." He turned back to Karin. "We're done." He hissed. "You're lucky that you're in a hospital right now. I don't want you near me or my family ever again."

Karin's eyes started to fill with salty liquid. "But, Sasuke, please."

"Your tears will do nothing to me. If it weren't for your pregnancy I would have cut things off with you a long time ago. It would have been better if I did even if you were carrying a child of mine. I never would have thought you were capable of doing something as pathetic and revolting as this."

"You better watch out what you say." Kiki threatened him, standing up for Karin. "Don't think you-"

Kiki was interrupted by a hard punch against his face. The impact had so much force it brought Kiki out of balance and he fell on the bed Karin was occupying. His nose broke and he bit his own lip when Sasuke's fist hit him forcefully.

"Oh my God!" Karin shouted in shock.

"If I see you near Sakura again," Sasuke lifted Kiki by his front shirt. "I won't let you off this easy." He let him go and he fell back on the bed on Karin's lap.

"Sasuke, please," Karin cried softly. "You cannot end things like this. I did it because I love you, really _love_ you. I wanted to be with you so much I couldn't even stand it. And if there's anything you once told me is to fight for what I want. I wanted you, Sasuke, I still do. It has always have been you. Haruno Sakura was in the way, please Sasuke, you have to understand. You would have done the same thing, I know you would. Please," She let out a quiet sob. "I love you."

Sasuke paused at her words, staring at her teary face. Those cries were not fake, they came for the bottom of her soul.

"If you really loved me," He started slow. "You wouldn't have cheated and run off on our _wedding day_ with him to begin with!" He pointed at Kiki, who was still leaning on the bed, holding his nose to stop the bleeding. "If it weren't for the fact that you were pregnant, Karin, I never would have had a single thought about you ever again. It never was because I still mistrusted you that I wanted things to be over between us, it's because contrary to you, I truly, with my very being, love Haruno Sakura."

Karin knew this, but it was the first time he told it in her face.

"We only have one thing in common, only one." Sasuke continued a little calmer. "And that is that we both realized who we actually love far too late."

And with that he turned and left.

Kiki wouldn't go down so simple, though. "If you knew it's too late, why do you still even bother with Sakura? She already told you, and everybody actually, that she hates you."

"As Karin just said, I will fight for what I want." He looked over his shoulder and glared at them sideways. "Not in the way you two did to trap somebody."

"You won't succeed." Kiki growled.

"Both of you could go to hell. Stay the fuck away from Sakura or you'll rue the day you've been born." Sasuke was dead serious. "Consider us through."

He was free of them. Sasuke couldn't believe it, but he was actually free of Karin. He was sure Kiki would back down from Sakura. If not, he had to deal with him. This only left him one thing to do and that was face Sakura. To tell her that she was right, that she didn't do anything.

He returned to the hotel she was staying only to see maids cleaning the suit Sakura occupied. He asked the maid where the one who stayed here was, as politely as he could muster, since he was still Sasuke and harshly demanding things wouldn't get him anywhere right now. The woman told him that she already checked out and that she was probably catching a plane back to the USA.

He cursed. Shit, she was already gone. He grabbed his cell.

"_Yo, tell me!_"

"Naruto," Sasuke spoke through his phone hastily, running back outside the hotel. "Where are you exactly?"

"_We're packing up to go tomorrow morning. What's up?_"

"I need you to check what the first flight to Miami is today."

"_Today? Sasuke, what's going on, why are you panting like that?_"

"Just do it, Naruto." He sat back in the rented car, starting it.

"_Fine, fine, don't get your panties in a bunch_." There was some noises in the background as Naruto got to work, Sasuke still on the phone while driving to the airport. Don't try this at home kids, always two hands on the wheel!

"You got it yet?"

"_Hold up!_" Naruto responded. "Ok_, here we go. The next flight towards Miami via San Francisco departs over forty-five minutes with US Airways_."

Damn. Will he make it?

"_What's the emergency, Sasuke? You can always take a flight tomorrow with my mother and I, so why are you-_"

Sasuke clicked the phone shut. He had to get to the airport and stop her right now. Sakura couldn't leave Japan thinking he blamed her, thinking that he hated her. He need to tell her the truth, he needed to get her back.

He raced his ass towards the airport. Looking on his silver watch, he cursed again when he arrived. Fifteen minutes.

He ran inside through the crowd, searching for the right gate and pass through.

Ten minutes.

He had to pass through customs. When he realized that, he slowed to a halt. He could never catch up to her. He didn't have his passport with him.

It was useless. She was already gone.

...

...

...

* * *

Sakura swallowed when she looked out of the airplane's small window. Kiki hasn't called her and he said he would before she takes off. He was staying in Japan for another day, to catch up with some business and then he would be right behind her. That's what he said. But he hasn't let anything hear of him as of yet, she tried to call him instead but she got nothing but his voicemail instantly. That only means his phone was off for some reason. She supposed that she didn't mind, she was sure that the first call she'll get when she lands on Miami would be of him.

"Something's on your mind, Sakura?" Tsunade asked beside her.

"Uh, no, nothing of importance. It's just that I haven't heard of Kiki, while he said he would call." She stared at her phone. "He couldn't even bring me to the airport to say goodbye. He had things to do." There was something in her gut that was annoying her.

"I'm sure he's busy with something. He said he would be staying for another day or two for family business. He's just occupied, no worries."

"I don't know." Sakura whispered, putting her cell back in her purse. "Something feels off."

"Then what?"

"I really don't know. Just a gut feeling I can't shake off."

"Well, everything will be settled once we arrive back in Miami." With that, Tsunade leaned back, intending to relax a little.

Her mother was right, she was just a bit on the edge of something. She just needed to laid back for the long flight towards San Francisco and then another flight towards Miami. Hours went by and Sakura only fidgeted in her seat. They stayed in San Francisco for merely an hour to grab their connection flight and finally, after 12 hours, they landed at Miami International Airport. It took them a while for them to get their suitcases.

"I told Mitchell and Michael the time we would be arriving so they can pick us up." The blond female told her daughter. "I assume they're already here."

"I really hope so, because I'm beat. All I want right now is my bed." They walked out of the departure hall in their own pace. It didn't really matter if they flew in First Class, a trip as long as that one exhaust you.

As usual, the airport was busy with people walking around from point A to point B, and Sakura and her mother Tsunade had to push through everybody to get to the exits. Sakura smiled when the full sun greeted her. She would be lying if she said that she didn't miss Miami, even if she was in Japan for only a week.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes against the blaring sun and looked over the sea of cars. "Michael said that he would be picking us up in a white limo sporting flags with the Senju symbol."

"There it is!" Sakura pointed to her right. And there it really was, the white limousine, it's back facing them. They headed towards it, stopping at the back of the limo to put their suitcases in the trunk.

Sakura grinned and went to knock on the window of the driver's seat. Since all the windows are tinted black she couldn't see inside. But she could bet that they were asleep and loitering around like always. "Wake up, you idiots!" She yelled while tapping the window, already giggling at their most probably half drooling face, barely awake. "Open that trunk, you two don't have to hurry and stumble your way out. We can put the suitcases in ourselves, we don't need your help."

The trunk popped open without the window rolling down or the door opening to reveal either Mitchell or Michael's face. She shrugged it off and just went to help her mother load the suitcases into the back of the limo. They were most likely fixing themselves up to appear a bit presentable. God only knows this wasn't the first time.

"Sakura, come and help me, will you? These gazillions suitcases of yours are tiring me out. Uh," Tsunade moaned miserably. "I'm getting old. Seriously."

She laughed and immediately she was next to her mother. "You really don't think you even remotely look old." She pushed one of her suitcases in the limousine.

The door of the outstretched car opened and Sakura sighed in relief. "Thank you, come and get the rest into the trunk. It seems that we needed your help after all."

He stepped out but made no indication that he was coming over to help them.

Tsunade and Sakura were too engrossed with pushing one of the four suitcases in the back, it seemed like it wasn't going to fit. And neither Mitchell nor Michael was offering their noble help yet.

The Haruno was getting frustrated. Where are those boys? She could understand that it took a bit of time to wipe the drool of your lips, fix your hair and straighten your clothes, but this was a bit too long. Besides, she heard the door open, why isn't anybody coming? "What's the hold up, get your ass-" Sakura interrupted herself when she looked up.

Oh. My. God. Oh. My. God. Oh. My. God. OMG! OMG! OMG!

Her eyes were deceiving her.

Her breath left her body entirely.

Her blood froze.

He was standing there, all six feet and three inches, raven hair, lean muscles and dark eyes.

It was Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. She repeated the name countless times in her head and still she was unable to comprehend that the man was standing right there. Just seven feet away from her, he was there. Uchiha Sasuke.

"How is this…" Sakura gulped, trying to inhale some air. It wasn't happening, though. How was it possible he was here? She was sure she left him in Japan.

Tsunade looked up at her daughter, noticing that she stopped pushing the suitcase and saw her strange frozen state. The expression she wore was akin to the famous deer in headlight look. "Sakura, what's the matter? What's wrong?" When she remained motionless the blond decided to follow Sakura's line of vision, and landed exactly on…

Yeah, we've repeated his name too many times already.

She cleared her throat softly. "I am going to leave you two to your business. I'll be right back." Though neither seemed to have heard her. They only had eyes for each other.

Their gazes were focused on each other, solely on each other. The one shocked till the depths of her soul and the other swallowing slightly, but other than that, merely a face of concentration.

Sakura was the first one to blink. "How…? What are you doing here?"

Sasuke didn't say anything yet.

"How can you even be here? Last time I heard you were still in Nara!" She was apparently finding her tongue again. "More importantly, _why_ are you here?"

There was a moment before he replied. "Why do you think?"

"No. Don't answer my question with another question, especially not if you supposedly try to prove the obvious with it. Give me a straight answer."

"Did you know that if you take a private jet via the Atlantic Ocean, you'd arrive two hours sooner than how you flew?"

"You still haven't answered the question. Why are you, Uchiha Sasuke, here?" She practically spat his name and he knew she completely hated him.

And with good reason. After accusing her of pushing Karin off a stairs and not even listening to what she had to say, no wonder she didn't want to have anything to do with him.

He said nothing to her then, just letting them stare off in each other's eyes.

"I can bet you're here with _excuses_." Surprisingly she broke the silence and with a harsh look to match. "You can very much take those excuses and shove them somewhere where the sun doesn't shine."

He could have seen it coming. She won't be forgiving him, as he expected she wouldn't.

"Unfortunately, I do have excuses to make. Such as one that I should apologize."

"I do not want to hear any of it." She snarled back. "You have made it all too clear that I haven't giving you a chance to speak, when I should have let you, and you were right. We are even. So now I don't want to hear any of it at all. I don't want to hear _you_."

"I haven't come all the way from Japan to not let you hear this."

"Then why did you bother? Why did you come in the first place, aren't you supposed to be with Karin?"

"It's over."

"Good for you, now goodbye."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for you."

She stopped for a moment, blinked and bit her lip. "Would you stop it? You hate me."

"I never hated you. I was angry and blind and gave you all the blame not knowing it was Karin all along. I should apologize to you."

"What for? For the fact that you said I basically murdered your child? Or because you told me I wounded you woman? Or because I could have prevented her whole fall, as you said? Keep it for yourself, I don't need to hear it. We should just move on with our lives. Separately."

"I don't want that. Not from each other."

"Deal with it."

"Sakura," He said slowly. "I'm here for you and I'm not going away without you."

She gulped. "Sasuke,"

"I'm sorry. I truly am, if I could rewind everything I've said and done then I would have. But I will not make another mistake by letting you slip away from me for good."

He made her heart race, he made her throat contort, he made her blood boil, he made her mouth dry and her eyes wet. Things Kiki always lacked making her do.

"That is you. I don't want nor need your apology or-"

"Stop being so stubborn and hard-headed." He cut her off and took a step near her.

"Why you-"

"You rather ignore everything to spite me, instead of acting upon your own feelings."

"And of course you know my feelings better than me, don't you? You _always_ know better." Who did he even think he was?

"I don't have to know. Your actions speak for themselves."

"Dare to explain to me, what actions?"

"_That night_." He spoke the words in a whisper that almost made a shiver coarse through her body.

"That night was nothing. It was goodbye. It was before everything. Kiki is the one I want to continue my life with. And Karin with yours."

"I don't want her and you know it. I stayed with her out of sympathy."

"Seeing her pregnancy I could _really_ take the hint that you didn't want her." Who was Sasuke fooling? It takes certain actions to end up pregnant and you have to be a willing participant at that.

"She planned it!"

"What?"

"She planned everything. Karin and Kiki both did. They planned everything to get us apart. All because they wanted to prevent me of going after you, Kiki was a completely part of it. I heard them talking about it." He still got pissed off when he recalls their conversation.

"I don't believe you."

"I threatened Kiki to stop contacting you because I saw his true colors. If he's smart, he hasn't." Sakura realized that Sasuke was right, Kiki hasn't called her or anything. But that only meant that… that Sasuke was right? Did Kiki and Karin plan such a thing together just so she and Sasuke wouldn't end up together? What kind of sick way is that? Kiki fooled her. Karin fooled Sasuke with the pregnancy. What kind of people did that?

Sasuke let her pounder on that information for a while. She needed to come to terms that Kiki was history, permanently. "I wanted you back then, Sakura." He started again, nearing her once more. "I still love you now."

Sakura choked. This was too much. She was confused. Just because Kiki and Karin's true plans came to light doesn't soften the things he said to her. Doesn't soften her pained feelings. "Well, I don't. So you can go away now." She said softly, her voice not that much audible.

"I won't."

"You will!" She instantly backed off when she saw that Sasuke was too close for comfort. "You have hurt me too much in the past Sasuke, despite your multiple declarations of love, you still hurt me. How can I even believe you that any of this is real?"

"Because of this."

She wasn't warned of anything when he kissed her. It wasn't a hard kiss that forces his lips on her own or his tongue in her mouth. His hands were instantly on her hips but he wasn't gripping them with harsh ferocity. They just stayed planted there, merely holding her to him. It was a gentle compassionate kiss that made her knees almost buckle.

It took one second too long when she noticed that was she was doing wasn't right. She pushed him off and took a step back. "No," She shook her head, her voice uneven, her balance unstable. "That means nothing."

"It means everything I have, Sakura. You feel it too, don't struggle it."

"I refuse to. Your admirations are not the same as mine, you think-"

"It's bullshit. Look me in the eyes and tell me that's not true."

Sakura was sure that tears were somehow running down her face but she denied that she was crying. "I'm over you, Sasuke." Even so, a tear escaped her eye and she was aware of it. "I don't love you."

"Bullshit." He repeated, their distance was getting shorter again. "It's true I brought you misery, but I will do everything in my power to make it up to you."

She closed her eyes when his forehead touched hers, his hands around her arms.

"Love me, Sakura, _please_."

She broke. She had to break. There was no denying that her heart completely skipped a beat when he just uttered that word. She couldn't deny that her legs wobbled when he softly squeezed her arms. She couldn't deny the bliss she felt when he was so close to her, touching her.

So she kissed him. With lips, tongue and teeth, she kissed him. He, of course, kissed her just as hard back. It was forever since he had this woman in his arms, and now she was forever staying there. Their tongues struggled for dominance and her hands were going through his hair, pulling him closer. He did whatever she wanted, whatever she would ask. He pushed her against him and went forward, deepening their kiss that felt like lasted for eternity.

He didn't want to stop kissing her, he never wanted to stop. Her lips were too soft to abandon and right now he felt like a man having a waterfall of water after walking months through a desert without a drop of liquid. He craved her. She was his water, she was his completion, she was his redemption, she was his addiction, she was his everything.

"Say it." He panted after breaking the kiss. He touched her lips once again, before kissing her jaw. "Just say it." He needed to hear it, begged her so he could hear it.

"I love you, Uchiha Sasuke."

It was the first time he truly heard her say those words with all conviction to him. It made him go in a frenzy and were they anywhere than here he wouldn't hesitate to completely devour her on the spot.

There was still something that needed to be done, he suddenly remembered. Reluctantly he slowly peeled away from her, his hands somewhat at his sides but his lips couldn't get off of her. He kissed her cheeks, her nose, her forehead. "I want to ask you something." He kissed her eyelids, her jaw, her lips.

She looked confused at him. "Then ask."

He took one half step away from her, refused to make more distance than this between them. He looked at her and her face was completely euphoria, no tears were in her eyes anymore, her orbs shined. He softly took a lock of pink hair away from her face. "I've asked you this before and practically forced you to answer me what I wanted to hear. But this time the decision is entirely yours as I ask this properly."

If anything, Sakura never saw this coming. Never. Right there, in front of her, Sasuke just dropped down on one knee. "Haruno Sakura, would you give me the honor of being my wife?" He suddenly opened a black velvet box and inside was one of the most beautiful diamond ring she has ever laid eyes on. Her own imaginary was nothing compared to the ring being presented to her.

"Will you marry me?"

...

...

...

* * *

**Yeah, sorry for all that fluff thing. I'm hopeless like that. I'm one big fluffy ball of fluff.**

**If this chapter seemed rushed to you in anyway, well, then you're right. **

**Live with it. **

**Anywayzzzz, I'm happy this chappie is up and next chapter would be the last one I'm publishing of this story. Y'alls look out for the dedications I'm gonna throw in there, there's lots of people I wanna thank.**

**Automatically I wanna thank everybody who reviewed, it was thanks to y'all that I multiple times pushed myself to keep wringing that chapter out of me. I know it was a long wait, and FORGIVE ME, I hope this somewhat make it up.**

**Review, pretty please, because this will be the one of the last chapters I will get beautiful reviews from my precious readers!**

**I wish I could sent Naruto-formed cookies and Sasuke-shaped cakes to yous!**

**p.s Laury… SURPRISE! You love me, don't cha? I know you do. Kudos for you babe, and also a very sexy half-naked regards from my husband! *wink wink***

**R & R**

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'_Cuz it was always you and me. Cuz it was always me and you. And it will always be that way.'_**- Anonymous **

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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_Acorralada_

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_Stay Tuned for Next Time_

_Same Site, Same Story_

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	17. Thank You

**A/N: I've let you guys wait TOO EFFING long for this. I can't say enough that I'm sorry :( **

**This is supported by Laury Uchiha. You rock girl!**

**Disclaimer: ****I never owned. You think I'm gonna start now?**

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_Acorralada_

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_In the Palm of My Hands_

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"_Someday we will look back at this, laugh nervously, and change the subject." – _**Anonymous **

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_It´s been five months now. I remember it so well. I kissed him, fell to ground and hugged him so hard, I think I choked him. I squealed like a piglet, I think I cried too. Hell, I'm crying now. I cry too much, tell me something I don't know. For the first time in my entire life it felt like everything is as it's supposed to be, like everything fell in place, the puzzle complete. I heard Sasuke laugh lowly in my ear then, when I hugged him. The first time I've ever heard him laugh. It could be that or it was a sound he emitted because I was strangling him with my hug. _

_That's how my mother, Tsunade, found us, on the ground in front of the limousine, right outside the airport, hugging and kissing the living daylights out of each other. She said that lots of people formed a semi-circle around us and watched the whole spectacle going down. All the women blubbered when they figured out Sasuke was proposing. I didn't care that they were there, and I was certain Sasuke didn't either. We finally had each other and the rest didn't matter. _

_I went home with Tsunade and she couldn't stop smiling. She said I was glowing brighter than the sun, but I didn't mind. All I could think about was that I was with the man I had always loved and that my left hand felt a bit heavier with the beautiful engagement ring on it. The diamond sparkled in the sun, almost giving it a natural light. I couldn't stop looking at it. This was the second time I was marrying Uchiha Sasuke, but the first time wearing this. _

_It was marvelous. _

_Three days later, he invited me to his house, where his parents and brother were present, too. He told them squarely that we were getting married, again. But this time, very much in love.  
Itachi swiftly punched his little brother in the shoulder, saying that it was time finally. And you're not going to believe this, but he came and hugged me. On his own. Yeah, I was shocked too. _

_Mikoto smiled at us, and told us that she had been hoping we would end up together. In the beginning she disapproved of our relationship because I was a maid, but later she realized that I truly cared for her son, unlike Karin. But all the time she kept her mouth shut, assured that Sasuke would figure it out on his own. And he did. She hugged us both at the same time, then pinched Sasuke's cheeks and said that she was happy for us. _

_Then there was Fugaku. He demanded to know what happened between his youngest son and Sarina Karin. Sasuke told us everything, because I hadn't heard the full story of that either, and I was curious to know every detail. Sasuke explained that Karin planned everything along with Tatiana Kiyoshi. I couldn't believe how low they had sunk. _

_After that Fugaku turned to me, telling me with a frown that he had to apologize for all the shit he had said and done to me. I glared at him. I said that he was an unemotional, rude, insulting bastard who brought me misery every time he even glanced my way, let alone opened his mouth. Mikoto gasped when I said that to him in his face, Itachi smirked and Sasuke tried to keep his face serious and not start smirking also. He pulled it off, though. _

_Fugaku stared at me with wide eyes for a moment. I bet he was shocked that I dared saying that to him, but it was true and he knew it. He said that he was sorry and was unable to keep looking me in the eyes, so he turned away in shame._

_My face cracked from the glare. That was all it took. A sincere apology of the constant-harsh Fugaku and I forgave him for all he has done. We smiled, well, uh, he smirked. _

_Without further ado he welcomed me into the family. _

_And so everybody heard it, heir of the Uchiha clan Uchiha Sasuke and heir of the Senju clan Haruno Sakura, were going to marry. Like, again. _

_I wasn't the only one who got my happy ending though. Naruto and Hinata married three months ago. They were radiating off cuteness so heavily, I couldn't keep looking at them. Every damn minute they were making out and you would ask yourself if they ever caught their breath, or something. _

_Neji and Tenten were weird. Neji said they were in love, but Tenten refused to admit that she was so every time when asked. They couldn't keep their hands off of each other, although never in public. Neji wasn't the type of person who was fan of PDA, and Tenten said she wouldn't be caught dead even near Neji in society's eyes. Such stubborn idiots. So a month after everyone returned from Japan, Neji announced that they were going to marry too, somewhere next year.  
Tenten wouldn't have it. She said he didn't even propose but just decided. He replied that he knew she was going to say yes anyway, so why bother? She flipped him off and muttered a whatever. In other words, yes, they were going to get married. _

_Everything ended well._

_Oh yeah, remember Marina, that bitch in the beginning of the story that made sure I looked like a thief when Mikoto's jewelry got stolen? Yeah, well, I told Fugaku the truth. He looked her up, because two months after she got half the million dollars, she moved to Barbados into some classy villa near the beach. Fugaku had her arrested and demanded all the money back. Her ass is now in prison with a debt she won't be able to pay off in three lifetimes. _

_I never again heard of Karin and Kiki. Sasuke told me that the contract they had had expired, and he let everything that had anything to do with him go. Last week I heard Kiki's company went bankrupt. Rumor has it that Karin moved with her parents to London. She needs her daddy's money and now she's hunting some English men. Or women, who knows?_

_Aside from that, tomorrow was my big day. I was excited to be with my ex-husband forever. What was a bit of an overkill, though, was that Yamanaka Ino came to wake me up 4.30 in the morning. _

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Sakura groaned. "Urgh… whaat?"

"Wake up! Wake up. It's your big day, WAKE UP!"

Instantly Sakura was wide awake and literally jumped out of the bed. "Oh my God!" She yelled. "I'M GETTING MARRIED TODAY!"

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED TODAY!" Ino answered with a yell of her own.

"WE'RE GETTING MARRIED TODAY!" They screamed together early in the morning.

Now, don't get yourself wrong, Ino isn't getting married today, but she always longed for Sakura to get married, especially with Sasuke. You know best friends, she didn't just say it was Sakura's wedding, but her wedding as well. Hell, she arranged more things of the wedding than Sakura herself. And when Sakura protested Ino just turned to her and flatly told her she had no say in this.

It was a tough choice, choosing between Tenten and Ino to be maid of honor, but Sakura reluctantly chose Ino in the end. They had been best friends since forever and she was there through everything. Thank God Tenten didn't mind. It was awful enough to be in another dress like that again, so she gracefully gave that honor to Ino. But no matter what, Tenten couldn't escape being a bride's maid, nevertheless.

"Ok, first things first, I called the beautician and now I want you to get into that bathroom and take a bath, not a shower, but a bath."

"But a shower is quicker." Sakura protested.

"How many times do I have to tell you? You have no say in this," The blond automatically responded. "Everything about you has to be perfect, starting with your skin. I already set the lotions and soaps and perfumes in there, all you have to do is to pour them in the water."

Honestly, since what time is Ino up?

"Ad how long do you suppose I stay in that water?"

"At least an hour and a half. Your skin has to soak up the lotions."

"That long? My skin will prune."

"Yes, that long. Why do you think I woke you up at four thirty?" She shot the rosette a 'duh' expression and pushed her towards the bathroom. "Your skin will be fine five minutes after you've dried up. Use everything in there. In the meanwhile I'm gonna drag your mother out of the bed so she can hit the showers along with the rest of us and fix their hair." Ino wasn't joking around, she had been bustling her ass since 3 o'clock. She went to bed yesterday six pm so she wouldn't lack any sleep today.

Sakura sighed. It was only now that she remembered, whilst taking off her clothes, that she had been separated from Sasuke since yesterday. Ino decided that she was to come home because Sasuke couldn't see his bride before the wedding, and that rule started right at 12 am. Not only had she dragged Sakura back home, but also Tenten and Hinata away from their lovers to be here the next morning. Ino, of course, stayed over too, to whoop their asses into perfection today.

Two days ago was their bachelor and bachelorette party. Everybody knew Ino and Naruto were a bit crazy, so Sasuke and Sakura decided to keep it secret what happened at their party, for their own good. She didn't know what Naruto had planned for the boys, but knowing him it wouldn't be much better than what Ino did. She hired strippers when they hit the bar and it was epic. They never became that drunk, in fact, they saw a side of Hinata they never expected. All Sakura could confirm the next morning was that both parties became shitfaced drunk and woke up with a hell of a hangover.

She smiled. It was fun. And judging from Sasuke's low chuckle, he had a good time too.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go." Ino pulled her out of the bathroom an hour and a half later. "We still gotta do that hair of yours. And a manicure, even a pedicure. Did you do all you waxing, on _all_ the places I ordered you to do?" Ino had rollers in her hair and a cell phone in her hand.

Sakura shivered when she experienced that wax. "Yes, I have."

"Good. Now come with me." She grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the living room, where they met with the rest of the females. They were all getting their hair done.

Tsunade smiled when she saw her daughter. "There's the future bride!"

Hinata and Shizune grinned from ear to ear. Tenten was still half asleep.

"Ready for your big day?" Hinata asked softly?

"Yeah, yeah, not entirely." Ino cut in, not giving Sakura the opportunity to reply. "We need to get all of your hair perfect today, especially the bride's! I want her perfect!"

It was a garden wedding behind Sasuke's home, since his backyard was huge. They drove from her home to Sasuke's house in a white limo, and with a lot of fuss and whining to make sure Sasuke wouldn't see her before the wedding, she slipped into one of the bedrooms with all the females behind her.

It was soon almost time and Sakura couldn't breathe when she finally slipped into her wedding dress, the veil neatly on top of her head. Shizune almost cried seeing her like this, Tsunade for once, almost too.

"You're a vision in white, Sakura." Ino smiled, hugging her. "It's almost your time. I still need to do something."

The sun was shining in full strength when an already dressed Ino came barging into the room. All the men backed away a bit when they sensed the killer aura surrounding her.

"I want the groom and the best man in front of me, pronto."

Sasuke, Naruto and Itachi wisely kept their mouth and followed the command. Immediately she began fixing their clothes and primed their hair neatly. As last she focused solely on Sasuke.

"You," She started menacingly, eying Sasuke closely. "You're not having second thoughts, are you?"

"No."

"You are completely ready to spend your entire life with her?"

"Yes."

"You would never break your vows, will you?"

"No."

"You will stand by her side whenever and forever?"

"Yes."

"Will you let other people hurt her?"

"No."

"Can I completely trust you?"

"Yes."

"Will Sakura ever mistrust you?"

"No."

"You are sure you love her?"

"Yes." Sasuke glared at her. What kind of question is that? He loved her more than anything in this world.

"Good." She didn't match his glare. "Because if I ever hear that you've hurt her in _any_ kind of way, I'll chop your balls off with a blunt axe, rip your head off and feed your body to some malicious piranhas." The wide smile she flashed him was more lethal than a bullet to the brain.

Sasuke's wasn't intimidated by anyone, but he couldn't deny that she was freaking scary. He merely gave her a short nod to satisfy her.

"Perfect." She chirped. "I want you standing outside on your places in ten." With that she walked out.

Kiba whistled low. "Damn, ya have one creepy ass woman, Shika."

"Don't I just know it", Shikamaru sighed. "Believe me when I say that that was just scratching the surface. Just be glad that you passed that test, Sasuke."

"Man, this is so awesome! Sasuke-teme is gonna get hitched! I hope Sakura put ramen as a dish in her dinner tonight." He nudged his best friend in the side. "You're not getting any shivers of cold feet, do ya, teme?"

Sasuke shot him a skeptical look. He wasn't getting any shivers of anxiety at all. When you know that you're going to marry the right girl there's no need for shivers.  
Not that he would ever say that out loud. He could already imagine Naruto's horrified look at reply at his out of character comment. 'Oh my gawd, hear him sprouting sappy shit like a true whipped bitch. Who are you and what have you done with the real cold ass Sasuke bastard?' He rolled his eyes.

Shikamaru sighed again. "Let's go and take our positions. Our ten minutes are almost up. We don't want a hell bend Ino at us." He groaned. "God knows how many times I met that scary side of her."

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"You're so beautiful, honey." Tsunade smiled gently at Sakura, who just finished putting the final touches at her dress and hair.

"Thank you." She smiled, close to tears. "Ok, I have something old, something new, and something blue. I miss something borrowed."

"Ah, here!" Tenten reached behind her neck and unhooked her necklace that held a tiny silver kunai on it. "I got this from my sensei back when I was still obsessed with knifes and such. I think it's something nice to borrow at the moment."

Again on the verge of tears, she took the necklace and hugged her, right at the moment the door burst open. "Ok, enough hugging like a bunch of sentimental schoolgirls." Ino commanded. "We have a princess to get wed!" She gave a grin in return. "Places, people, places."

To say it was a wedding every girl dreamed of would be a lie. It was a nice, warm, cozy wedding with only their closest friends and family present. Just the way Sakura liked it, and knowing Sasuke, he liked it too.

Walking down the aisle with Tsunade giving her away and every and all eyes on her felt surreal, but the only pair of eyes that kept her earth bound was the onyx colored ones of Sasuke. His expression was softer than usual, his gaze straight on her.

She heard Ino and Tsunade sobbing and sniffing behind her, Shizune and Tenten probably comforting them. On Sasuke's left stood his brother Itachi and beside him was Naruto. He was unable to choose a single best man so he chose them both. Itachi, unlike his little brother who stood short from blank, was smirking in approval, while Naruto was smiling from ear to ear. He shot her a quick thumbs up in a sort of good guy pose, she supposed.

When she finally reached the front, the too calm and collect Sasuke took her hand and led her to the old man in the front. Everyone took their seat and all was quiet until the old man started his tale.

She wasn't listening and she was aware of it. She'd watch what was being said and done around her later on the recorded videos they're surely taping right now. She was focusing on her hands that were safely in Sasuke's. She was focusing on his eyes that spoke of everything and nothing all at once. On how his lips twitched and his brow relaxed.

She swallowed when she was brought back to attention by Sasuke, when he had to let go of her hands. She was confused as to why he let go, until she noticed that Itachi gave Sasuke a ring.

Ring swapping time.

"Take her left hand," The old man croaked, "And repeat after me."

Sasuke pushed the ring half way her finger already.

"Haruno Sakura, come health, happiness and prosperity, I will stand with you." Sasuke repeated, his voice suave and low. "Come illness, trouble or poverty, I will stand with you. Take this ring as a sign of my love and commitment." He gently pushed the golden band along her slim finger until it had settled together with her engagement ring.

Shortly after Itachi gave her a ring alike and she repeated the same.

The old man blessed the ring. Then he asked the question she had dreamed of for a very long time.

"Do you, Haruno Sakura, take Uchiha Sasuke to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"

An euphoric sigh escaped her lips, her toes curled in her shoes, her hear beat too fast.

"I do."

As soon as she said that Sasuke showed her possibly the most beautiful smile she had ever seen in her life.

The old man nodded and repeated the same to Sasuke.

"Do you, Uchiha Sasuke, take Haruno Sakura to be your wedded wife," The gorgeous smile on his face he simply mouthed three words. _I love you_. "To have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"

Sakura had his ring around his finger even before he answered. "I do."

The old man coughed, blessed the other ring and smiled at them. He looked up into the watching crowd, his expression turning too serious. He scraped his throat and talked louder than he had before.

"If anyone feels this couple should not be united into holy matrimony, speak now… or forever hold your peace."

Everybody held their breaths.

Uh-oh.

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This was the third time in her life that she was this much grateful that she was resting in a soft bed after hours of pain, agony and torture. But the end result was worth it. It was always worth it.

She was exhausted and sleepy but she knew she was still waiting for a visit from a bunch of people. She didn't want that though. She was dead tired. She looked like a mess and was kind of need of a shower, but right now she doubted that she could feel her legs, let alone use them to get off of the bed. All she wanted for now was some peace and silence.

"MOOOOOOMMYYY!" The door practically flew off its hinges and bounced against the opposite wall. A boy with short black hair and tears in his eyes wallowed louder, rushed towards her bed and threw his short body on the bed. Correction, on her legs.

Sakura grunted and was about to pat the boy's head and comfort him when the next little boy entered quietly.

"Mommy is okay." The one said to the other who was crying. "So you can stop now, you big cry-baby."

Sakura wanted to laugh but for the sobbing boy's sake, she frowned. "Now, now, what have I told you about bullying your brother?"

"Sorry, mom."

The one still sniffing sobered up. "Don't worry," He said wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. "I wasn't crying."

Sakura smiled at him and lifted the boy up. "I know that, Hoderi, you're a big boy now, and big boys don't cry."

Hoderi was her oldest son of 10, with jet black short hair and spiked up the back, exactly like his father's. His eyes were just as dark as his hair and he just lost his tooth in the front. Despite his appearance that looked like his father, personality wise they were different. Hoderi was easily in tears, had quite a temper and was shy most of the time. People said he was his mother's son, but Sakura swore she was _nothing_ like that.

The other boy in the room rolled his eyes. "You cried, just like you always do." He crossed his little arms. "And if you said you didn't, I'd say I just saw a pig fly."

That little smartass was 7 and a half year old son, Hosuseri. He was a bit too tall for his age, making it seem like he was 9 instead of his mere 7 years. That his hair was reaching the top of his shoulders wasn't helping either, he held it together like his uncle Itachi, his self-proclaimed 'idol'. His hair color was a shade lighter, leaning towards dark brown almost red-ish if exposed in the light. His eyes were just as dark as his father's, though. He was the quiet one between the two siblings.

"Hosuseri, stop it, will you?" Sakura scolded him, looking around if someone else came with the two boys. "Where's your father?"

"I dunno." Hoderi, the ten year old, shrugged. "He said he went to pick someone up and we should be very quiet and come straight to you."

"But Hoderi thought he was lost so he began to cry and thought you were hurting, until I said that we have found you." Hosuseri glared at his big brother.

"Pick someone up?" Sakura questioned. "Who could he be picking up?"

On cue there was a soft knock on the already open door. The scene just made her smile.

Sasuke was holding their newborn baby and smiling down at the bundle in his arms. Even after marrying Uchiha Sasuke, his smiles were limited, if not rare. But occasionally, beautiful occasions just like this one, Sasuke was always glowing from the bottom of his soul.

"I had to take this little one with me." His voice was soft and tender, "Unfortunately, I bumped into others too, including that idiot."

"Hey!" An offended response came from behind the wall. "You ruined everything! We wanted to surprise Sakura!"

In walked Naruto, followed by Hinata, Tsunade and Shizune, Neji and Tenten. A bunch of congratulations and 'hey Sakuras' were directed to her. She greeted everyone back with Hoderi still on her lap. He jumped off to struggle with Hosuseri.

"I want to hold the baby." Tsunade gently took the infant from Sasuke's arms.

"I want to go next." Tenten jumped up. "Ino will be so jealous that I'm holding your little one before her."

"Where is Ino?" Hinata asked, holding Naruto's hand.

"After picking up her kids from school, she'll be arriving as soon as possible with Shikamaru in tow."

Shikamaru and Ino had blond haired twin girls of five years old, Shikai and Inori. Shikamaru referred the females as 'the three most bothersome whiners of his life'. Needless to say he loved each and every single one of them.

As for Tenten and Neji, they had one boy toddler, Heiji. Neji claimed that he wanted more kids but Tenten had enough with one for now. Everyone was convinced Tenten would be pregnant in no time again.

Sasuke kissed Sakura on her forehead. "Our son has your eyes." He said as softly possible and kissed her nose. "Finally", he gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. "Thank you." Then he gave her another kiss. "Thank you." Another. "Thank you."

It was his ritual, she supposed. He did it every time.

"Aw, look at him," Naruto teased. "Three kids and he's all wiggly and showing PDA. I think you should give him ten more babies and maybe then that stick will be forever removed from his ass, Sakura."

They laughed, save for Hinata who shouldered him to watch his language around the kids.

"Says you who cried like a bitch when Hina and Minato were born."

"I think it's better if Hoderi and Hosuseri join Hina and Minato at the kids play." Sakura shooed the children away. "Sasuke and Naruto can't ever seem to watch their mouths."

Hosuseri snorted. "They never do."

"Just go."

Just then a booming screech sounded from the hallway, accompanied by the clicking of heels against the tiled floor of the hospital.

"Lemme see the baby!" Ino squealed, practically flying into the overcrowded room. "Tenten and I wagered that this third child would look nothing like one of the Uchiha men." She panted, slightly looking about the room. "So, where's the baby?"

In Sasuke's arms, after he took it back from Tenten. He just loved obsessing over his children in the first months after they were born. Even Sakura had troubles with prying their first two kids out of his arms to feed them.

All at once the females took a beeline to the Sasuke, fighting over who would hold the infant next.

A beautiful baby boy. You couldn't find an even more happier mother in the world if you tried.

He was soundly sleeping in his bundle of blankets until the gleeful squeals of the women woke him up. He yawned, moved his little finger and semi-stretched. He blinked a couple of times before sleepily gazing up at the world, revealing a set of beautiful forest green eyes.

"Sakura's eyes." Sasuke repeated, only for the women to jump again.

"He's so beautiful!"

"Look how adorable!"

"I'm going to steal him!"

"No, I want him!"

"Such a cutie."

The men rolled their eyes and then joined the females.

"So, has this little fellow a name yet?" Naruto asked the two, who became parents for the third time again.

Sakura smiled. "Howori."

"So the three Uchiha brothers are Hoderi, Hosuseri and Howori?"

"Yup."

"Sweet. You wouldn't easy forget that, but don't you get confused with who's who?"

Sasuke took a seat besides Sakura on the bed. "We're not you, dobe." He put his arm around his wife and immediately she tiredly leaned her head against his shoulder.

Tsunade was the first who noticed Sakura's exhaustion. "Well, I guess we should leave the couple alone after quite the hectic day." She announced, starting to push everyone out of the room.

The Yamanaka was holding the baby again. "We'll bring this little one back to the nursery." She flashed Sasuke a look of warning, because she knew the idiot would be a bit possessive.

A couple of hugs and handshakes later, they were gone and Tsunade closed the door behind her. Sakura dropped her entire weight against Sasuke, whose hand instantly wound up in her hair. She sighed and basked in the silence they were left behind in. She blinked. She started picking up Sasuke's habits a long time ago. She used to dislike silences.

The warmth beside her, his caressing hand in her hair and his deep breathing almost made her fall asleep. "Three sons." He stated. "Three beautiful sons."

Sakura chuckled. "You say they're beautiful just because all three look like you."

She couldn't see his face but she assumed the bastard was smirking. "That too," He agreed. "Although, I was hoping we would have a girl."

She shifted and turned to him. "Since when do fathers want daughters anyway?"

"Since I know she'd be the most beautiful baby girl, coming from you."

Sakura smiled. "You can stop with the mushy stuff now, it's so unlike you."

He leaned forward slowly. "Sorry." He kissed her lips once. "You know," He kissed her deeper. "We can start trying to get that girl right now."

"Right now?" She kissed him back. "In a hospital? Where everyone can walk in? It's better we don't." Despite her protesting, she wasn't stopping his sneaky hands.

She giggled when he successfully took off her shirt and his along with it. "I hope we better won't get caught, Uchiha Sasuke."

"We won't." He placed butterfly kisses down her neck. "The door is closed, so we won't."

The blood in his brain rushed south when he heard her breathing become heavier. He loved it when she sighed in his ear, when her hand ran through his hair and how her lips touched his skin.

"I love you." She whispered, her wandering hand traveling to his pants.

"I love you too." He groaned in reply when her hand brushed his twitching length. He shrugged out of his pants as fast as he could, it was becoming a little too tight.

His fingers brushed an erect nipple, his left hand clutched one of her thighs and lifter her to him. Their lips clashed together in a fierce, desperate kiss.

"Hey Sasuke-teme are you coming to- OH MY GOD! OH MY GO- HIDE IT! HIDE IT! FUCKING HIDE IT!"

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_I hated Naruto too, but after his interruption, and as cheesy as this will sound, we indeed lived happily ever after. _

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_El Fin_

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**A/N: *sniff* My last chapter. T.T**

**I can't believe it! It has been two years. (Two long ass years and that's all my fault! Sumimasen.) I'm all sentimental right now because this was my very first baby and now it's all grown up! I **_**especially**_** want to thank all the readers who have been with me since the very beginning and have seen this baby grow! **

_**FACT: **_**Hoderi, Hosuseri and Howori are the names I've chosen for our SasuSaku kids merely because, according Japanese folklore, they are the great-grandchildren of Amaterasu. There's a story going about involving one of these brothers, but if you're as interested in Japanese mythology as I am, just look it up. **

**And I know every author says this but… so what? **

**THANK YOU! Thank you so very much for reading this, whether you've ever reviewed or not or if you reviewed every chapter, I don't care, but thank you all! It's an honor for having been read at all, let alone if you remotely liked it. Thank you so very, very much. **

**I wanted to publish a new fic along with the last chapter of this one, in honor of the final of this story. I'd be more than grateful if you'd check it out. **

'_**A Dish Best Served Cold'**_

**Summary: **

'Revenge. First and foremost on his mind, if it weren't on her father, it was on her and the rest of her family. He did anything to spite her, anything to make her suffer for her father's sins. There was only one thing he didn't count on…'

_M-rated and SasuSaku. _

**But now it's my time to go and look down and beg you for a last review, if you got something still weighing on your heart. I've learned a lot while writing this, all thanks to all the readers/reviewers.**

**I love you all and thank you. **

**Sweet.-DramaQueen**

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_In The Palm of My Hands_

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'_Now that we've found love what are we gonna do with it?' – Heavy D & The Boyz_

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For good measure: SASUSAKU RULEZZ!1


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